This has been quite a challenge in the name of Cosplay. I wanted to go for something outstanding and unique to the common Deadpool and Harley Quinns etc. So I found a Fan-Art design for my favourite Pokemon and decided to give this a try for May 2017's Comic-Con and I think it's turned out rather well! Here's how I achieved it.
Because of the way I am, I've had recent mixed times at Comic-Con because of wanting to feel recognised and noticed when I try to cosplay. But now I see that it's not all about that and it shouldn't feel like it in order to go and have a good time. So I decided in November 2016, that I'd attempt to go as a Pokemon that I can relate to but to also go and cosplay as something that might not have been done before.
Nevertheless, Mewtwo finds his way in the end of both films and learns "I see now that the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant... It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are". Which is a little quote among others that help encourage me to live life despite feeling different with the conditions I live with.
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| An Idea I found off DeviantART |
So anyway, here I'm listing how I got the materials and how the Cosplay was put together. I decided to go for a Scientist look instead of the design I found on Google Images. It looked hard making that version so I figured that with Mewtwo being a clone attempt of Mew, I'd go for a scientist "gijinka" (which is a Japanese term that roughly translates into “Humanization.” It's also known as anthropomorphism, which is when people take non-human creatures, objects, and various other things and re-imagine them as human beings) look even if it sounds hypocritical to the hardcore Pokemon fans.
Wig:
The wig was bought off eBay and my hairdresser Dan from Horsham DUO saved my ass on Thursday by helping trim and style the ears for wig. Boy, it did need some work. And he managed to make it as accurate as possible and was a much better friend and comfort for discussing my planned cosplay over the last couple months since seeing him for my previous cut. He didn't make as much fun since he's more respectful than if I was to have asked a different local hairdresser. Thank you so much, mate!
Coat:
The coat was bought off eBay and it needed a bigger arch up the back in order for the tail to slip out through instead of from underneath. Mum helped loosen the stitches up the back to make it easier for the tail to slip out through.
Trousers and Shoes:
I bought 2nd hand trousers off eBay which turned out to come the wrong shade of purple compared to the image because of "light density on his camera". And I bought some plain white plimsolls too and used Violet Clothes Dye to help turn them into the right shade thanks to the washing machine.
The hardest and most agonising part was the tail. I contacted Kamilla (Kamiko Shiro Cosplay) for any advice on how she made her Ninetails Pokemon Gijinka cosplay. Luckily she supplied loads of paragraphs on a guide to making a tail by using thick garden metal wire to make hoops using a battery driver and pliers. And make several of them for the length and then thread as many wires through them and attach them to make my cylinder and then wrap my material around and to also stuff the inside. And to attach the tail to myself, I'd need to create a small flat box and drill 2 holes in so I can attach backpack straps from the tail's wire end into the box.
It was all so much to take in and I tried getting the wire but to no avail so Mum, Dad and I tried out first attempt using chicken wire instead.
As for the material and stuffing, I went to Jill's Sewing Room in Crawley and found 2 metres of the purple polyester material and a bag of stuffing from the lovely ladies there. They were aware of Comic-Con (having helped other before) and were happy to help me out and I said I'd show them pictures on their Facebook page of the final design and mention them on my blog as thanks for their help. Thank you for your help, ladies!
The First attempt did't go so well due to not be able to make the shape safely and perfectly which wasn't strong enough for dad and my temper sadly haha.
My Second attempt was with the help of my Nana and Grandad. Since Nana is an expert at sewing and stitching and Grandad's an engineer, they helped me this time. I drew out a rough sketch of a 5 inches diameter and width of the tail on long paper over a weekend near the beginning of May which gave us an idea of the shape I wanted and would act as a stencil. I wrote down my measurements on the inside of my sister's Crunch wrapper ha. It worked out okay but it was only a stencil for the tail's shape, the real thing happened the next weekend and was my third attempt - "Third time's the charm!'
My Third and last attempt on the following weekend ended up completing it at last. I went over and Grandad used Pyro Cable (strong bendable cable) and cut it at 75 inches and bend it to the stencil's shape. We then laid it out flat again and attached sellotape from one end to the other on the table.
We used 3/4 of the stuffing to roughly layer it across the tail and attach it hilariously to it.
We then realised that we had to cut it from corner to corner and somehow, Nana and I managed to put pins down the tail at 5 inches distance and cut it down straight and then I'd wrap up the tail as Nana pinned it down. God bless her, she thought it was hilarious and kept me calm and by god, she sewed it all the way down for 1.5 hours. I'm blessed to have these two in my life and they helped me achieve something silly but also personal to me.
The hardest part was working out how to attach it to the belt with strong enough material whist supporting it's weight. I was told to stitch loads of material from the tail to the belt using fishing wire / strong sewing material so that it would stay strong. Mum had a better idea.
Lastly, I bent it into shape on the weekend before Con and Mum threaded the belt through a button hole she made whilst I was out on the Saturday morning doing the Horsham 10K Race with Ikin and Ryan. All that was left was to make a bigger gap upwards on the back of the lab coat so that the tail wouldn't be hanging from underneath but hanging out like a... well you know! And to keep it steady, we used fishing line and made a lasso round the tail and stitched an end into the lab coat so that it'll stay up right.
I am so grateful to Mum, Dad, Nana, Grandad, Dan as well as Kamilla for her help and guidance in the first place not to mention the support I received from Estelle (Estelle Ember) and Summer (Cinnabar Cosplay). And I can't wait to show all three of them in person on the Comic-Con weekend, hopefully ^^. I wouldn't have achieved this without any of you!
It will be hard to break the Cosplay burning spirit of not making more like everyone else and my friends but I'm gonna see how my other photographer friends feel going up in normal clothing. I feel that perhaps this future will be mine for future Cons but it'll be grande to see everyone again even if I'm not dressing up as a character who's shoes I've always wanted to enter or I personally relate to. Who knows? I still wish I could do Dark Link and Eren Jaeger, maybe someday or it'll be a dream that just can't be done.
So this has been quite a predicament but I aim to make it all worth it on the Saturday of Comic-Con. The fact that I've shared this upcoming Cosplay to friends that I will see there and on the MCM Comic-Con Facebook group has been a positive feedback. I may feel incomplete from not being as accurate as I'd hoped (but that's how things sometimes turn out), but I know that I will look amazing like everyone else on Saturday and I wonder how many pictures I'll be asked for!
And I'm glad I'm bringing my camera to go up and be a Photographer at the same time because a few friends have asked for some shots / a shoot from me which I'm very honoured and am really looking forward to doing.What I'm not looking forward to... is the scorching temperature that everyone will be suffering under yet we all have to endure in the name of Cosplay even if the sun's coming out to toast us nerds ha.
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