This is our Comic - Con At Home 2020 Masqurade entry. Enjoy!
Comic Con Masquerade Contest: Shelby Spillers and Arron Bowman
Costume Name: Punk Gyarados and Mega Gyarados
Costume Description:
Gyarados:
References and Renderings
There were not a lot of male human Gyarados refences.Had to come up with the design on my ownWent for a punk look with some samurai influences due to the characters Japanese origin and character temperament. Went through a couple of versions before I decided on what I really liked.
The Vest
Over 50 hours of applique, hand sewn and hand cut. Two front Gyarados had to be resewn twice so they could match perfectly. The faces are embroidered using satin stitching. Pattern was made from scratch via drapingOuter fabric is made of crinkled chiffon, it was chosen to mimic scales and to represent the blue of the GyaradosWent for a punk/biker look for intimidation and cool factor. Patch placement researched for accuracy.1-inch metal spikes screw-on for awesomenessHand sewn lining
The Pants
Pattern created by refencing another pair of pants that I had; However, because I wanted the refence pant to stay intact I had to make the pattern without taking the pant apart. Made from brocade, it chosen to represent scales and Gyarados yellowShiny
The Belt
Pattern from scratch Represents the tail and segments of the Gyarados Made from vinyl that is textured in some way that looks like skin or scales.Hand painted in the backChains and shells added for a more punk vibe with a little ocean flare Glow in the dark
Mega Gyarados: Since my partner was going with a biker gang/punk theme to this character idea, and I’m an evolution of that, I was trying to make a meaner version that leaned a little more post apocaliptic, which leans on trying to make this character look bright and colorful but aged from his enviornment. I am going to break this down piece by piece sInce there is a lot to put in, starting from the ground, up. The shoes were originally white when I bought them, I lightly sanded and painted blue leather paint until that color was achieved and put some brown dry brushing to age it. Working up to the pants, I flat patterned these with ridges sewn in. it also has a front with a lace up crotch and a hidden zipper. The chaps were a lot of work, and while working on them when I was bulding this, they traveled with me to Hawaii, while I was trying to hand-sew on the custom made red bias tape. They have duck canvas on the front and a lovely lining on the other side, which cant be seen in the video. The tank top underneath the jacket started white, and we dyed it to that color. I also put rips and tears to tell a story of different pokemon I picked a fight with. There’s lightning strikes, slash marks, and grass stains from supposedly past battles. The jacket outside is made out of vinyl and was a personal challenge to make a pattern out of for more than the fabric choice. I decided to pattern it through draping. I also only had ½ yard of blue fabric so I had to improvise quickly and not mess up to make sure I had enough to fit into the jacket. Also, to weather it, we dragged it 6 miles through dirt, mud, rivers, rocks, and we also strapped it to a car and drove around at night in an abandoned parking lot. While it did get weathered somewhat, a lot of the detailing ended up being paint. Also, with the sleeves, they ended up beins so thick due to the top stitching, that I had to hand sew the sleeve together. It is also lined with the same lining as my chaps. The fins/tail or “the wings” started from a wood rectangle. there, I added heavy duty wire and cotton to basically make a ribbed sail. The tail was a lot of sections of vinyl and foam and cotton lining (yes the same from earlier) to form it into a lobster tail looking thing. The hood is actually sewn onto the tank top. It was a flat pattern I had made with the same fabric of the chaps. The horn was made out of EVA foam, foam clay, and sanded down with a dremel. Finally, my mask was inspired by the kabuki demon masks. I wanted something intimidating that was reminiscint of the character its based off of. That is mostly made out of worbla, and the big teeth are carved pink foam covered in worbla, and the nose and smaller teeth are eva foam covered in worbla. I have real chains attatched and a red strap in the back to keep it up.
Bio: We have both been cosplaying for about 9 years and have been dating for about a year. We both met at a local cosplay meetup and have bonded from there. Now, cosplay and projects like these makes us grow in our relationship and as artists.
