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could you try get a 3d animation made of what this could look like please please the space studio the makerspace and thhe global innovation platform with the footprint coalition ?? all in the convention centre
I think he made it clear that while he generally does not like cosplaying villains he does make accepts for certain characters that speak to him. It’s not a hard and fast rule for him.
At a local con, a woman did Calvin and Hobbes. She spiked up her hair, wore a black and red striped shirt, and carried a Hobbes plushy by the paw. Such a simple cosplay, almost closet cosplay, but it literally made people cry. Just the way she carried it.
Regarding the Openness of the cosplay community, in the early days, from what I've heard, the cosplay community WASN'T welcoming. Mostly because many were engaged in the competitions, they didn't want to share the secrets of how they constructed their outfits else another cosplayer would edge them out of the competition. It wasn't until the mid 90's (I think) that folks started to freely share their techniques and tutorials, and turned the community into what it is today.
When I cosplay, I try to find characters who have a somewhat similar aesthetic to myself. I'm not wealthy so I also have budgetary constraints to worry about. Nothing beats when you walk the floor in costume and people recognize you and know who you are, it's a real thrill.
Horsehair canvas interfacing is what's used in tailoring to make things like suit lapels and stand-up collars stay crisp and maintain their shape through years of wear and cleaning. A sewing technique called pad stitching with a stiff interfacing layer like horsehair can make all the difference in cosplay situations where you can't or don't want to use things like foam. Pad stitching would prevent the hinging Adam's talking about. PS I love how Adam accidentally merged Sally Beauty Supply and Joann Fabric 😂
Seconding horsehair canvas and padstitching for structure in cosplay! For adding structure to the hem of an item, horsehair braid is a great tool too. Also easily available at craft and sewing stores and very inexpensive.
It’s just bukram, and most fabric stores carry it. Do not sew seams together as normal, lay one layer flat next to each other then slide one on top of the other, overlapping a bit and top stitch centered on the overlap. If you want something to stand out straight from the shoulders to the hem cut out the entire front and back from buckram and then line it with a good thick lining so you don’t get scratched by the buckram. The lining needs to be thick enough that the buckram does not snag the lining or the snags will be visible and the lining may not hang straight and could make the costume pieces also not hang correctly. Cut the buckram the finished length and fold the fabric up over the bottom edge of the buckram. The hem can then be stitched to the buckram and not through the front of the fabric for an ‘invisible’ hem. Felt can be added for extra thickness and stiffness. The felt needs to be sewn on in a grid pattern, making squares every 3-6” to add stiffness and not just thickness. Buckram can be steamed into a curved shape over a mold and it will then hold that shape to a certain degree. It is very easy to sew through. Just in case you wanted to know….. lol
My mom is a contemporary modern dancer (think weird interpretive kind lol) and she teaches her students about different kinds of movement and weight transfer by making them run around like jack sparrow haha :) This was a really cool convo about what draws you to a costume. I think I am drawn to costumes that have more poise than I do, more frill, more regal authority and ornamentation. I am at a point in my life where I get lots of adventure and outdoor fun, so I don't always want to be a pirate or adventurer anymore (I just want to adventure in real life). I want to be a fairy queen or decorative warrior or frilled witch, because that space for putting so much time and love and intricacy into how I dress doesn't exist anymore. I want to be flamboyant in a way business and lab standard clothing doesn't allow.
I totally empathize about scaring children with a Joker costume. I only did Joker once when my daughters went as Harley and Poison Ivy. I went into character and was channeling Mark Hamill. I was creeping out the batman characters I ran across. Best Con I ever went to!
You can use shellac mixed into denatured alcohol as a fabric stiffener. I’ve used this on wool felt hats. May or may not be adequate for a cloak. It will also lose stiffness if the fabric gets worked, but you can always reapply. EDIT: best for natural fibers, certain synthetics and dyes may not love being doused in alcohol.
Linseed oil is another useful material... Careful not to "wad" anything soaked in the stuff... AND it will tend to darken a bit... boiled tends to darken less... Yeah, wads of linseed soaked rags HAVE burst into flames... BUT this is the neat part of the stuff.. It's a chemical process "drying" or rather it "polymerizes". Takes a few days, but even a T-shirt can be stiffened to a weird rubbery form and WILL hold a shape if you form it "wet" and keep that until it's fully cured... AND once dried, the cloth in question won't change... as in ever. It's still somewhat flexible, but it legitimately turns into something between rubber and plastic... so no washing out, no runs, no weirdness... AND who says you have to slather your "cloak" rather than soak and form a layer or two of lighter cloth, which can then be sewn UNDER (or inside) the layers of cloak for "body" without adding stupendous amounts of weight... It's worth experimenting. I use the stuff all the time on Leather for sealing against weather, water-proofing, and stiffening just a little to help hold shape against abuse, but I'm frequently working on motorcycle grades of armor... so there's that. It's already bulky as hell and hot and heavy, so linseed (for the purpose intended) even mixed with neatsfoot is a GODSEND for adding years of life to aged and weather-beaten garments and layers and the like... ;o)
Great shoutout to Dragon*Con... I have been there many times and is now a yearly event for me (minus 2020 when COVID-19 shut everything down)... and just observing all the costuming could be all one does and it would be an excellent con. Thanks, Adam, and I'm certain you'd have a lot of fans here if you return, and I'm sure you could be a panelist for a variety of tracks. :) Haven't made it to the San Diego Comic Con myself yet.
I don't necessarily want to be who/what I cosplay. I choose my subjects based on originality - ie, how many of this character have I seen? Do I have an original mash-up idea? and then what can I bring to that character's costume which shows off my specific skills (electronics, 3D printing, model building) while minimizing those skills I'm not great at (sewing, sculpting). One of my favorites was last year when I did Mermaid Man wearing a Starro drone instead of his purple starfish mask. I am currently working on a M.A.S.K. (80s cartoon) Miles Mayhem Viper costume - I don't want to be him, but I love the look of the costume and it combines a lot my skills and looks good right now.
Probably Sally’s beauty supply and Joanne’s Fabrics. It’s amazing to me, in my military industrial complex line of work, how often these two companies contribute.
I second the horsehair canvas and pad stitching recommendation! You could also try interlining with tarlatan or use a wool hem braid for structure- even make a hybrid version that incorporates both the hem braid with boning (or even just heavy duty zip ties) for added dimension. Good luck!
"You're greatest barrier to excellence is yourself" ... the technical advice that Adam shares during Q&As always feels like gold but it's his nuggets of coaching and self-care I find hit home the most! Re the costume stiffness - my first thought was just to sew some coat hanger pieces into the seems and bend them :P
I LOVE dressing as villains! That being said, nothing makes me feel better than dressing up as Batman. It’s one of my favorite costumes. People look at you different. Children look at you different. They all want to meet Batman.
Adams story about scaring kids as the Joker is funny. One of my favorite costumes I have (my profile picture in fact) was not designed with the intent of scaring kids but it definitely does haha
It’s funny how different we can be. I am totally an empath. I feel other emotions and always want to help others. I don’t watch tv that represents the horrible negatives in life BUT….. I would absolutely dress up as a villain in a heartbeat! My favorite Disney character is Maleficent. I think I can “play” evil because I could never go there EVER in reality. Movies are stories that are written so they can be better than reality.
On stiffeners that remain light weight, bridal dress fabric shops have some incredible, light weight materials. Polyester horsehair, also called “Crinoline”, is used to hold out the hem edge, and comes in 50 yard lengths in 1 to 6 inch widths. Corset boning is also a dressmaker costuming staple. Iron or sew -on interfacing also can give amazing effects.
I ALWAYS need some mask or helmet, at first it was cause I was nervous cosplaying, but now I feel like younger people see you more as the character then a cosplayer, and it leads to some memorable moments
I feel the opposite of Adam for the most part, I almost exclusively cosplay antiheroes and villains because it allows me to step into a role I myself would never truly inhabit or feel comfortable in. In a way its liberating because you can safely explore the character and your own inner darkness.
I've used buckram for things for years, and I did not know it could be thermally moulded o.O Thanks Adam, that stuff just got a whole lot more useful ^_^'
I remember seeing you at Dragon Con as Jack Sparrow. I got 10 feet passed you and realized it must be you. But the crowd was too much to go back. Lol. I knew it must be you because all the other amazing pirates were in the DC parade.
My first cosplay as a villain was last year, 9 years into my cosplay career. I was Dr. Eggman from the Sonic the Hedgehog series; not the Jim Carrey version though. I even turned an electric wheelchair into his hovercraft. The biggest reaction to a costume I ever received. Since then, the only other villain I've ever cosplayed as was Monokuma from Danganronpa.
Caution: curtain-makers buckram is not thermo-plastic. It's heavily starched hessian. It's a wonderful medium in its own right, and has uses in costuming, but check what you're buying.
Also FYI same with horsehair too. The plastic stuff is generally starched so if you want to wash the thing good luck (applies more to clothing items then to structured armour etc)
Cosplaying as a villian, and being "nice", kinda breaks the character. Obviously you can't be mean, but someone like Jinks, or Joker/Quinn, Negan, Peter Griffin,... "Asshole" characters... Gives you a bit of chaos to pay with. But heros let you be nice and happy, and not have to break "character". Which helps keep with the immersion of the cosplay.
I did cosplay before it was called cosplay in the US. It was simply called costuming back when I was going to science fiction conventions starting in the 1980s. I played a crazy hunchback who's imagination had created the the quite real in the stories alternate universe the other characters of our cosplay troop inhabited, based on books I can not recall right now. I was told that I played a remarkably convincing madman.
I definitely don't want to be who I cosplay. I love the mad scientists, cackling melodramatic villains, and others that are fun caricatures of inept villainy. I can get into the character and have fun while still being approachable and exaggerated.
I think you said in this video that you like to look into other Crafting and artistry areas to see what kind of supplies you could use. I am someone who is a lifetime creative individual and crafter has taken some design classes and has lately become more serious about creation mainly in the area of wood and epoxy resin. I kind of do dabble in a lot of different materials. Just enough to be dangerous. Anyways I say this because recently when sanding something on the bench sander managed to sand through a good part of my nail on my ring finger on my right hand. I didn't go all the way through but the nail was pretty thin. I watched a few UA-cam videos on acrylic nails in order to figure out how I could possibly patch it while it grows out. Actually managed to do a decent job at doing all my nails! I'm wondering have you ever played with the stuff they use to make acrylic nails? It's basically a powder and a separate liquid monomer that they mix that then turns into like a gel that you can spread and it hardens unbelievably fast. Comes in tons of colors and is totally sandable and paintable once hard..... My question would be ...are there other products that work like this that are accessible to the average creative person or maker? Have you ever played with the stuff?
Re: FABRIC STIFFENING - Along with buckram, Tarlatan is a good way to defy gravity with fabrics. It’s an interlining fabric. It is available in different gauges or different stiffness-ezzzzzz Or if sewing is not your preferred method, stiffening fabric with a solution of watered down PVA/wood glue applied with a large paint brush would work too. When the fabric is still wet, position it in the final shape and leave it to dry. There are some great videos and articles about cosplay costumes and stiffening fabrics for effect etc. good luck ❤ P.s small weights can also be sewn into the hem of a garment to add weight etc. it depends on what the type of look / effect you’re going for. Either way, I’m excited for you.❤
Always found villains to be the most fun. They let us lean into and embrace the darker sides of ourselves... What if I didn't have that filter in my head that made me act right, be polite, and aspire toward a nobler sense of myself??? What if I didn't care what anyone thought and TOOK when I wanted, said what I meant, and never held back those opinions that I KNOW nobody actually wants to hear??? What if violence really could be my favorite answer??? Heroes are fine and all, but the archetype is so frequently so flat and simple. They always say the RIGHT thing. They always avoid temptation. They stop themselves from doing or saying something horrible, demeaning, degrading, or whatever... and if they DO commit to violence, it's always for "the greater good"... a thing that must be done, instead of satisfying some deeper wanton lust or hate... Reluctant heroes, Anti-heroes, and Redemption Arcs are developments because it gets legitimately difficult to believe in heroes in their traditional "shining armor" sense anymore. It smacks a bit of social commentary to point out that in some sense, we (as an audience) are more and more frequently cheering for the "unbridled asshole" of a plot or series than for the more authentic "good guy". Nothing against Indy'... BUT it can truly just be more satisfying to explore the most vile and despicable example of humanity's lowest possible denominator for a couple hours. I'm not alone in the assessment, either. LOTS of actors have crowed delightedly over the chance at a "true villain" role, just for a sophisticated character they can "really sink their teeth into"... ;o)
I'm not sure of what the costume they're trying to make it, but I remember my mom using interfacing to give my Nazgul hood some structure back in the day.
Animated type tail use fishing rod eyelets in the build and you can run lines threw the tail that can be adjusted on the fly, make it wag or raise and lower.
Accurate description of DragonCon. 😆 I miss it so much, but once they got shoulder-to-should after the big transition I had to hold off. I miss it so much. Maybe one day again.
Im not sure what kind of fixed cloak flow image the query was for, but wouldnt it make more sense to use a full cloak length fibreglass mesh weave with wire bracing treated with the 'dope' that model aeroplane builders use and have the whole thing hang from/worn on the shoulders, then drape and tack thin outer material over it. Another way to do it if it needs to flow more naturally, would be to use an under-frame worn around the waist like victorian ballroom bell-shaped dresses were.
Has anyone ever asked Adam which Snapple he favors? Does Snapple supply him with product? Just curious as I have never tried the stuff but in almost every video there is the Snapple.
And that’s because the term originated in Japan in the animation magazines such as Animage and My Anime. I seem to recall the term reached mainstream geek fandom* in the U.S. around the early ‘90s. * mainstream geek fandom. Man that is just so crazy to me now. Just think about it. 😆
@@steveharrison9901 ahh it was not anime or just anime that they were walking about, people were dressing up and "cosplaying" TV characters and from books in that time. US sci-fi conventions has a form of this that was referred to as "hall costuming" or "costuming" that dates back to 1930's. Though it had less playing in character than we associate with what came out of Japan in the late 80's. There were always costume or costume adjacent clubs like the 501's, SCA, Amtgard, ect that date back to the 70's and 80's if you look back further you can see Victorians having Ivanhoe Balls and the court of the French sun kings masked balls and play acting parties. Romans used to dress up as famous heros of myth and play out the stories all the time. some form of Cosplay has likely existed likely for the entirety of human history. It was not really till the rise of digital photography that a lot of cosplay entered the mainstream of today. However there is always a debate any myths like the often repeated on in the west that this started here and went to japan and came back based on a mistranslation of a interview after the 1984 LA world con.
I just realized that all of the characters I want to cosplay as are villains or antiheroes, *because* I don't want to be them in real life. There's a fascination or curiosity about them, and the ability to try on the Shadow content without having to be it in real life. I really want to try out Varys, Darth Malgus or Darth Baras, hell Darth Vitiate as the Emperor of the Eternal Empire (I could keep my beard.)
per the fabric stiffener- especially for the train of a coat or something that still needs to be somewhat flowy but needs to “hold out” a bit more, look i to tarlatan fabric! this has been historically used to hold out/stiffen skirts (see: victorian walking skirts) :)
Never done cosplay, but i always tend to like the villains more. Not sure what i'd be going for though, now that i think of it... It kinda depends on how elaborate, Stormtrooper is nice, but also Predator or Xenomorph. Then again, who doesn't want to be Indiana Jones at least once in their lives. EDIT: Most likely i'd want to create my own character, like a fictionalized version of myself from the future or past.
Senior year high school homecoming dance fell on Halloween. We weren’t required to dress in costumes but we all did. My brother dressed as Pennywise from thar mini-series. His date was terrified of him in full costume. I went a a pig my date (who I took to 3 other dances and 1 Mardi Gras ball) said that my costume was perfect for me…😊
If I was planning a trip to the USA and wanted to include a "con" in the itinerary which is the "best", also which is the best maker fare and is there one that combines the best of both ?
I want to be Chewbacca. I have always wanted to cosplay a character from the Dick Tracey movie with Warren Beatty. But i'm a robot builder, so that's where i fall.
I don't want to be who I cosplay. I usually will choose a cosplay based on the challenge of making it, not knowing a thing about the fandom. That said, I once made a very large, very ruffly, pink dress. I mashed up Marie Antoinette and Cheshire Cat. Was it a good cosplay? Yes. I won a contest in it. Have I worn it again? Nope. Because I feel so unlike myself in it. Very uncomfortable.
RIP to Chris Marsh. That was absolutely my favorite season of Runway. Chris Marsh and Christopher Siriano. That season highlighted it wasn't just talent but the passion fueling the work.
There’s no one left at the San Diego ComicCon that had anything to do with creating it. It has since become nothing but a marketing opportunity for bad movies. I have not gone to one for DECADES.
Looking for the Buckram that you speak (thermoplastic) of but it seems to be a generic term for stiff mesh type fabric of all kinds. Can anyone suggest a source for a thermoplastic type fabric?
I think he's just using the terms he's more familiar with. Buckram is just fabric stiffened with glue or other substances, no thermoplastic at all, but a similar molding can be achieved by steaming or dampening the buckram. It's used in suits, hats, curtains, etc., wherever stiffening is needed and has varying weights and levels of stiffness.
How do you make cosplay "Sound" correct? Like if what you are making is made of wood or foam or plastic but is supposed to be metal, is there a way to get that satisfying heaviness to the way it sounds?
In this livestream excerpt, Adam answers questions from Tested members T, Andy Butler, Michael Elwell and RPG GamerGuy, whom we thank for their support! Join this channel to support Tested and get access to perks like asking Adam questions:
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could you try get a 3d animation made of what this could look like please please
the space studio
the makerspace
and thhe global innovation platform with the footprint coalition ??
all in the convention centre
*_Well, it's not fun when EVERYONE is dressed as the Hero...._*
Cosplay a Nazi
The key to portraying Jack Sparrow is he has sea legs. He's compensating for the rocking tilt of the ship that he is not currently standing upon.
And the slurring and the witty word play! Very tough.
It’s lots like he’s falling down drunk.
Dehydration and lots of alcohol
@@espalier he was falling down drunk.
And aleays drunk on rum.
I love how Adam starts with "I Cant Cosplay Villains" then goes onto a five minute rant about cosplaying as The Joker.
Exactly!
Not just that…”I scared children, hehe!”
Well, he did Kylo Ren too....
its not like he's gonna run around as horus in terminator power armor
I think he made it clear that while he generally does not like cosplaying villains he does make accepts for certain characters that speak to him. It’s not a hard and fast rule for him.
At a local con, a woman did Calvin and Hobbes. She spiked up her hair, wore a black and red striped shirt, and carried a Hobbes plushy by the paw. Such a simple cosplay, almost closet cosplay, but it literally made people cry. Just the way she carried it.
Regarding the Openness of the cosplay community, in the early days, from what I've heard, the cosplay community WASN'T welcoming. Mostly because many were engaged in the competitions, they didn't want to share the secrets of how they constructed their outfits else another cosplayer would edge them out of the competition. It wasn't until the mid 90's (I think) that folks started to freely share their techniques and tutorials, and turned the community into what it is today.
When I cosplay, I try to find characters who have a somewhat similar aesthetic to myself. I'm not wealthy so I also have budgetary constraints to worry about. Nothing beats when you walk the floor in costume and people recognize you and know who you are, it's a real thrill.
Horsehair canvas interfacing is what's used in tailoring to make things like suit lapels and stand-up collars stay crisp and maintain their shape through years of wear and cleaning. A sewing technique called pad stitching with a stiff interfacing layer like horsehair can make all the difference in cosplay situations where you can't or don't want to use things like foam. Pad stitching would prevent the hinging Adam's talking about.
PS I love how Adam accidentally merged Sally Beauty Supply and Joann Fabric 😂
Seconding horsehair canvas and padstitching for structure in cosplay! For adding structure to the hem of an item, horsehair braid is a great tool too. Also easily available at craft and sewing stores and very inexpensive.
It’s just bukram, and most fabric stores carry it. Do not sew seams together as normal, lay one layer flat next to each other then slide one on top of the other, overlapping a bit and top stitch centered on the overlap. If you want something to stand out straight from the shoulders to the hem cut out the entire front and back from buckram and then line it with a good thick lining so you don’t get scratched by the buckram. The lining needs to be thick enough that the buckram does not snag the lining or the snags will be visible and the lining may not hang straight and could make the costume pieces also not hang correctly. Cut the buckram the finished length and fold the fabric up over the bottom edge of the buckram. The hem can then be stitched to the buckram and not through the front of the fabric for an ‘invisible’ hem. Felt can be added for extra thickness and stiffness. The felt needs to be sewn on in a grid pattern, making squares every 3-6” to add stiffness and not just thickness.
Buckram can be steamed into a curved shape over a mold and it will then hold that shape to a certain degree. It is very easy to sew through. Just in case you wanted to know….. lol
My mom is a contemporary modern dancer (think weird interpretive kind lol) and she teaches her students about different kinds of movement and weight transfer by making them run around like jack sparrow haha :)
This was a really cool convo about what draws you to a costume. I think I am drawn to costumes that have more poise than I do, more frill, more regal authority and ornamentation. I am at a point in my life where I get lots of adventure and outdoor fun, so I don't always want to be a pirate or adventurer anymore (I just want to adventure in real life). I want to be a fairy queen or decorative warrior or frilled witch, because that space for putting so much time and love and intricacy into how I dress doesn't exist anymore. I want to be flamboyant in a way business and lab standard clothing doesn't allow.
"I don't like cosplaying as villains"... Cosplays Heath Ledger's Joker. :) Love you Adam!
"...for the most part."
Anti-hero.
@@illustriouschin No, the Joker is pure villain.
@@fryeday agreed, The Joker is 100% villain.
@@fryeday Adam Savage and millions of gentle and sane people disagree.
I totally empathize about scaring children with a Joker costume. I only did Joker once when my daughters went as Harley and Poison Ivy. I went into character and was channeling Mark Hamill. I was creeping out the batman characters I ran across. Best Con I ever went to!
You can use shellac mixed into denatured alcohol as a fabric stiffener. I’ve used this on wool felt hats. May or may not be adequate for a cloak. It will also lose stiffness if the fabric gets worked, but you can always reapply. EDIT: best for natural fibers, certain synthetics and dyes may not love being doused in alcohol.
Linseed oil is another useful material... Careful not to "wad" anything soaked in the stuff... AND it will tend to darken a bit... boiled tends to darken less...
Yeah, wads of linseed soaked rags HAVE burst into flames... BUT this is the neat part of the stuff.. It's a chemical process "drying" or rather it "polymerizes". Takes a few days, but even a T-shirt can be stiffened to a weird rubbery form and WILL hold a shape if you form it "wet" and keep that until it's fully cured...
AND once dried, the cloth in question won't change... as in ever. It's still somewhat flexible, but it legitimately turns into something between rubber and plastic... so no washing out, no runs, no weirdness... AND who says you have to slather your "cloak" rather than soak and form a layer or two of lighter cloth, which can then be sewn UNDER (or inside) the layers of cloak for "body" without adding stupendous amounts of weight...
It's worth experimenting. I use the stuff all the time on Leather for sealing against weather, water-proofing, and stiffening just a little to help hold shape against abuse, but I'm frequently working on motorcycle grades of armor... so there's that. It's already bulky as hell and hot and heavy, so linseed (for the purpose intended) even mixed with neatsfoot is a GODSEND for adding years of life to aged and weather-beaten garments and layers and the like... ;o)
Great shoutout to Dragon*Con... I have been there many times and is now a yearly event for me (minus 2020 when COVID-19 shut everything down)... and just observing all the costuming could be all one does and it would be an excellent con. Thanks, Adam, and I'm certain you'd have a lot of fans here if you return, and I'm sure you could be a panelist for a variety of tracks. :) Haven't made it to the San Diego Comic Con myself yet.
Adam, you continually inspire me to be creative. Thank you, and keep doing what you do.
I don't necessarily want to be who/what I cosplay. I choose my subjects based on originality - ie, how many of this character have I seen? Do I have an original mash-up idea? and then what can I bring to that character's costume which shows off my specific skills (electronics, 3D printing, model building) while minimizing those skills I'm not great at (sewing, sculpting). One of my favorites was last year when I did Mermaid Man wearing a Starro drone instead of his purple starfish mask. I am currently working on a M.A.S.K. (80s cartoon) Miles Mayhem Viper costume - I don't want to be him, but I love the look of the costume and it combines a lot my skills and looks good right now.
Probably Sally’s beauty supply and Joanne’s Fabrics. It’s amazing to me, in my military industrial complex line of work, how often these two companies contribute.
I second the horsehair canvas and pad stitching recommendation!
You could also try interlining with tarlatan or use a wool hem braid for structure- even make a hybrid version that incorporates both the hem braid with boning (or even just heavy duty zip ties) for added dimension. Good luck!
I love his t-shirt: “Empathy Kindness Respect.” Good values to aspire to!
"You're greatest barrier to excellence is yourself" ... the technical advice that Adam shares during Q&As always feels like gold but it's his nuggets of coaching and self-care I find hit home the most!
Re the costume stiffness - my first thought was just to sew some coat hanger pieces into the seems and bend them :P
I LOVE dressing as villains! That being said, nothing makes me feel better than dressing up as Batman. It’s one of my favorite costumes. People look at you different. Children look at you different. They all want to meet Batman.
Adam: "I can't dress as a villain."
Also Adam: says this while wearing a T-shirt with the slogan "Empathy Kindness Respect"
That tracks. 🙂
Adams story about scaring kids as the Joker is funny. One of my favorite costumes I have (my profile picture in fact) was not designed with the intent of scaring kids but it definitely does haha
It’s funny how different we can be. I am totally an empath. I feel other emotions and always want to help others. I don’t watch tv that represents the horrible negatives in life BUT….. I would absolutely dress up as a villain in a heartbeat! My favorite Disney character is Maleficent. I think I can “play” evil because I could never go there EVER in reality. Movies are stories that are written so they can be better than reality.
On stiffeners that remain light weight, bridal dress fabric shops have some incredible, light weight materials. Polyester horsehair, also called “Crinoline”, is used to hold out the hem edge, and comes in 50 yard lengths in 1 to 6 inch widths. Corset boning is also a dressmaker costuming staple. Iron or sew -on interfacing also can give amazing effects.
I ALWAYS need some mask or helmet, at first it was cause I was nervous cosplaying, but now I feel like younger people see you more as the character then a cosplayer, and it leads to some memorable moments
I feel the opposite of Adam for the most part, I almost exclusively cosplay antiheroes and villains because it allows me to step into a role I myself would never truly inhabit or feel comfortable in. In a way its liberating because you can safely explore the character and your own inner darkness.
I just love being a Stormtrooper. TK-76261, Outer Rim Garrison, 501st Legion.
Adam: I can't cosplay villains
Also Adam: here is a 5 minute explanations about me cosplaying the joker
XD love ya Adam!!
Kylo merked a whole village of civilians. This is a war crime of the highest order, but not for troubled, misunderstood villians.
I've used buckram for things for years, and I did not know it could be thermally moulded o.O
Thanks Adam, that stuff just got a whole lot more useful ^_^'
Bukram is also used in oldschool bookbinding. My mother uses it a lot 😊
The thermoplastic version of buckram is called 'Fosshape.'
I remember seeing you at Dragon Con as Jack Sparrow. I got 10 feet passed you and realized it must be you. But the crowd was too much to go back. Lol.
I knew it must be you because all the other amazing pirates were in the DC parade.
My first cosplay as a villain was last year, 9 years into my cosplay career. I was Dr. Eggman from the Sonic the Hedgehog series; not the Jim Carrey version though. I even turned an electric wheelchair into his hovercraft. The biggest reaction to a costume I ever received. Since then, the only other villain I've ever cosplayed as was Monokuma from Danganronpa.
Caution: curtain-makers buckram is not thermo-plastic. It's heavily starched hessian. It's a wonderful medium in its own right, and has uses in costuming, but check what you're buying.
Also FYI same with horsehair too. The plastic stuff is generally starched so if you want to wash the thing good luck (applies more to clothing items then to structured armour etc)
Cosplaying as a villian, and being "nice", kinda breaks the character. Obviously you can't be mean, but someone like Jinks, or Joker/Quinn, Negan, Peter Griffin,... "Asshole" characters...
Gives you a bit of chaos to pay with.
But heros let you be nice and happy, and not have to break "character". Which helps keep with the immersion of the cosplay.
Rather than felt, use horsehair which is what tailors use for inner structures of coats
Sometimes you just love the costume… especially as a maker.
I did cosplay before it was called cosplay in the US. It was simply called costuming back when I was going to science fiction conventions starting in the 1980s. I played a crazy hunchback who's imagination had created the the quite real in the stories alternate universe the other characters of our cosplay troop inhabited, based on books I can not recall right now. I was told that I played a remarkably convincing madman.
I love you, Adam.
You are an inspiration.
I definitely don't want to be who I cosplay. I love the mad scientists, cackling melodramatic villains, and others that are fun caricatures of inept villainy. I can get into the character and have fun while still being approachable and exaggerated.
I think you said in this video that you like to look into other Crafting and artistry areas to see what kind of supplies you could use. I am someone who is a lifetime creative individual and crafter has taken some design classes and has lately become more serious about creation mainly in the area of wood and epoxy resin. I kind of do dabble in a lot of different materials. Just enough to be dangerous.
Anyways I say this because recently when sanding something on the bench sander managed to sand through a good part of my nail on my ring finger on my right hand. I didn't go all the way through but the nail was pretty thin. I watched a few UA-cam videos on acrylic nails in order to figure out how I could possibly patch it while it grows out. Actually managed to do a decent job at doing all my nails! I'm wondering have you ever played with the stuff they use to make acrylic nails? It's basically a powder and a separate liquid monomer that they mix that then turns into like a gel that you can spread and it hardens unbelievably fast. Comes in tons of colors and is totally sandable and paintable once hard.....
My question would be ...are there other products that work like this that are accessible to the average creative person or maker? Have you ever played with the stuff?
I made a costume mixed between a romen soldier and a Spartan took me 3 months to research and build everyone at the Renaissance festival loved it
that sounds so sweet. got a pic?
Re: FABRIC STIFFENING -
Along with buckram,
Tarlatan is a good way to defy gravity with fabrics. It’s an interlining fabric. It is available in different gauges or different stiffness-ezzzzzz
Or if sewing is not your preferred method, stiffening fabric with a solution of watered down PVA/wood glue applied with a large paint brush would work too.
When the fabric is still wet, position it in the final shape and leave it to dry.
There are some great videos and articles about cosplay costumes and stiffening fabrics for effect etc.
good luck ❤
P.s small weights can also be sewn into the hem of a garment to add weight etc.
it depends on what the type of look / effect you’re going for.
Either way, I’m excited for you.❤
Always found villains to be the most fun. They let us lean into and embrace the darker sides of ourselves... What if I didn't have that filter in my head that made me act right, be polite, and aspire toward a nobler sense of myself??? What if I didn't care what anyone thought and TOOK when I wanted, said what I meant, and never held back those opinions that I KNOW nobody actually wants to hear??? What if violence really could be my favorite answer???
Heroes are fine and all, but the archetype is so frequently so flat and simple. They always say the RIGHT thing. They always avoid temptation. They stop themselves from doing or saying something horrible, demeaning, degrading, or whatever... and if they DO commit to violence, it's always for "the greater good"... a thing that must be done, instead of satisfying some deeper wanton lust or hate...
Reluctant heroes, Anti-heroes, and Redemption Arcs are developments because it gets legitimately difficult to believe in heroes in their traditional "shining armor" sense anymore. It smacks a bit of social commentary to point out that in some sense, we (as an audience) are more and more frequently cheering for the "unbridled asshole" of a plot or series than for the more authentic "good guy".
Nothing against Indy'... BUT it can truly just be more satisfying to explore the most vile and despicable example of humanity's lowest possible denominator for a couple hours. I'm not alone in the assessment, either. LOTS of actors have crowed delightedly over the chance at a "true villain" role, just for a sophisticated character they can "really sink their teeth into"... ;o)
I'm not sure of what the costume they're trying to make it, but I remember my mom using interfacing to give my Nazgul hood some structure back in the day.
Animated type tail use fishing rod eyelets in the build and you can run lines threw the tail that can be adjusted on the fly, make it wag or raise and lower.
Accurate description of DragonCon. 😆 I miss it so much, but once they got shoulder-to-should after the big transition I had to hold off.
I miss it so much. Maybe one day again.
Im not sure what kind of fixed cloak flow image the query was for, but wouldnt it make more sense to use a full cloak length fibreglass mesh weave with wire bracing treated with the 'dope' that model aeroplane builders use and have the whole thing hang from/worn on the shoulders, then drape and tack thin outer material over it. Another way to do it if it needs to flow more naturally, would be to use an under-frame worn around the waist like victorian ballroom bell-shaped dresses were.
Has anyone ever asked Adam which Snapple he favors? Does Snapple supply him with product? Just curious as I have never tried the stuff but in almost every video there is the Snapple.
Depends on the villain, I'm always tempted to cosplay as Miles Mayhem from the old MASK cartoon.
The vison of Al Greenspan ( the economist) cos-playing is beautiful....
Adam bragging about scaring a child with his Joker costume while wearing a tshirt that says EMPATHY is hilarious 😂
Cosplay started being in print in 1983 in Japanese subculture mags
And that’s because the term originated in Japan in the animation magazines such as Animage and My Anime. I seem to recall the term reached mainstream geek fandom* in the U.S. around the early ‘90s.
* mainstream geek fandom. Man that is just so crazy to me now. Just think about it. 😆
@@steveharrison9901 ahh it was not anime or just anime that they were walking about, people were dressing up and "cosplaying" TV characters and from books in that time.
US sci-fi conventions has a form of this that was referred to as "hall costuming" or "costuming" that dates back to 1930's. Though it had less playing in character than we associate with what came out of Japan in the late 80's.
There were always costume or costume adjacent clubs like the 501's, SCA, Amtgard, ect that date back to the 70's and 80's
if you look back further you can see Victorians having Ivanhoe Balls and the court of the French sun kings masked balls and play acting parties. Romans used to dress up as famous heros of myth and play out the stories all the time. some form of Cosplay has likely existed likely for the entirety of human history.
It was not really till the rise of digital photography that a lot of cosplay entered the mainstream of today.
However there is always a debate any myths like the often repeated on in the west that this started here and went to japan and came back based on a mistranslation of a interview after the 1984 LA world con.
I just realized that all of the characters I want to cosplay as are villains or antiheroes, *because* I don't want to be them in real life. There's a fascination or curiosity about them, and the ability to try on the Shadow content without having to be it in real life.
I really want to try out Varys, Darth Malgus or Darth Baras, hell Darth Vitiate as the Emperor of the Eternal Empire (I could keep my beard.)
Buckram is the traditional hat making name! I don't believe it was traditionally thermal, though (I could be wrong!) so check before buying!
per the fabric stiffener- especially for the train of a coat or something that still needs to be somewhat flowy but needs to “hold out” a bit more, look i to tarlatan fabric! this has been historically used to hold out/stiffen skirts (see: victorian walking skirts) :)
DragonCon shoutout. I go from Massachusetts every year! Come back, Adam! You can ride in my sidecar as Dr Jones Sr!
Adam is a hero in my heart, I love he cannot play villains.
Jamie on the other hand, would love to play a villain, I'm sure!
Adam: I don't want to cosplay as a villain. Also Adam: I loved playing The Joker! I scared a kid! HA!
My one and only Cosplay was in 1980 at the LA Scifi convention as Vader
Depending on the usage iron on tent repair tape can add a lot of stiffness with very little effort.
Adam you should do a Neil Adam’s like Batman cosplay
My friend did an amazing immortan joe cosplay a few years back at the NY comicon she was fierce AF in it
Never done cosplay, but i always tend to like the villains more.
Not sure what i'd be going for though, now that i think of it...
It kinda depends on how elaborate, Stormtrooper is nice, but also Predator or Xenomorph.
Then again, who doesn't want to be Indiana Jones at least once in their lives.
EDIT: Most likely i'd want to create my own character, like a fictionalized version of myself from the future or past.
Not quite never, Adam dressed up as one of the twins from The Matrix franchise, and he killed it.
Have you done the dagger from prince of persia ?
Keep coming back to Dragon Con, Adam!
My first CON I went to was GEN CON in Indianapolis Indiana back in 2008.
The Matrix Ghost Twin with Alton Brown? Thar was a successful villain cosplay.
Came here to say this.
I have Cosplayed as Dr. Horrible 2 different times. Is he really a villain or just misunderstood. I enjoy his character.
Loved the season Chris Marsh was on Project Runway.
I remember the days when Cosplay was just called Fancy Dress... 🤣
When I cosplay I often choose something that tests my making skill set over the love of a character.
"i never cosplay villains"
5 minutes later
"Remember when I scared little kids as the joker? So much fun"
Senior year high school homecoming dance fell on Halloween. We weren’t required to dress in costumes but we all did. My brother dressed as Pennywise from thar mini-series. His date was terrified of him in full costume. I went a a pig my date (who I took to 3 other dances and 1 Mardi Gras ball) said that my costume was perfect for me…😊
While I'm a huge SciFi reader, but I've never had any desire for cosplay...even Holloween costumes. To be someone else??
If I was planning a trip to the USA and wanted to include a "con" in the itinerary which is the "best", also which is the best maker fare and is there one that combines the best of both ?
Understanding Keylo Ren is not understandable to me - killing Han Solo for no powerup - 🤣
I want to see Adam make the Dead Space plasma cutter or contact beam
I want to be Chewbacca. I have always wanted to cosplay a character from the Dick Tracey movie with Warren Beatty. But i'm a robot builder, so that's where i fall.
TIL that Adam doesn't consider The Joker a villain.
I'm guessing that when you got the felt right.. it felt right!
"Bukrum" is used inside collar and cuffs of shirt in our part of the world and is pronounced book-rum in our language
Nice Video thanks adam sir.
I don't like being villains bc I can't connect with them
Man I loved making my Heath Ledger Joker costume and wearing it
I don't want to be who I cosplay. I usually will choose a cosplay based on the challenge of making it, not knowing a thing about the fandom.
That said, I once made a very large, very ruffly, pink dress. I mashed up Marie Antoinette and Cheshire Cat. Was it a good cosplay? Yes. I won a contest in it. Have I worn it again? Nope. Because I feel so unlike myself in it. Very uncomfortable.
RIP to Chris Marsh. That was absolutely my favorite season of Runway. Chris Marsh and Christopher Siriano. That season highlighted it wasn't just talent but the passion fueling the work.
Just need a suit and Adam could go as James Gunn
Didn't Adam do Indy. Jones on mythbusters
What's the difference between Cosplay and fancy dress? I feel like 15 years ago 'cosplay' was a term you hardly would hear.
There’s no one left at the San Diego ComicCon that had anything to do with creating it. It has since become nothing but a marketing opportunity for bad movies. I have not gone to one for DECADES.
I also would like to be Indiana Jones but so I do not damage the namesake I would probably be Montana Jones to give me my own Identity.
How about cosplay as female warrior with the important bits covered with shiny armor? ...JUST THE IMPORTANT BITS, LIKE HOW BIKINI FUNCTIONS.
4:38 Scaring kids is the most fun you can have without _Exterminating_ someone.
Is it OK that I don't get it, not even a little bit of it? When I do Halloween even, it's because for one reason or another I have to.
After growing out a super long beard I definitely narrowed my cosplay options haha
No you didn't!
You can still cosplay anything! That's what it's about! And if you need an explanation, there's always the 'multiverse'!
I need a long bearded Indiana Jones or Samus in my life
Looking for the Buckram that you speak (thermoplastic) of but it seems to be a generic term for stiff mesh type fabric of all kinds.
Can anyone suggest a source for a thermoplastic type fabric?
I think he's just using the terms he's more familiar with. Buckram is just fabric stiffened with glue or other substances, no thermoplastic at all, but a similar molding can be achieved by steaming or dampening the buckram. It's used in suits, hats, curtains, etc., wherever stiffening is needed and has varying weights and levels of stiffness.
How do you make cosplay "Sound" correct? Like if what you are making is made of wood or foam or plastic but is supposed to be metal, is there a way to get that satisfying heaviness to the way it sounds?
I find hot glue removes the hollow plastic sound and I use steel and led weights on the inside glued into place to get the proper balance.
Tin foil can help. A layer on the outside painted over or covered with fabric. Makes it sound less plasticky
a problem with dressing up as villans hmh? nazgul was fine tho? :D
Raiders was 1981? My bad , It was re-released 82 and 83.✌