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ABOUT ME
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Name: Ger Location: Boston, USA Favorite anime: Macross, Shoujo Kakumei Utena, Fushigi Yuugi, Fullmetal Alchemist, Naruto, Kekkaishi Favorite game: Final Fantasy VI and VIII, Warcraft Cosplays: Osaki Nana (Nana), Tifa Lockhart (Final Fantasy VII), Cid Highwind (Final Fantasy VII Advent Children), Shadow (Final Fantasy VI), Suboshi (Fushigi Yuugi), Gaara (Naruto), Shiva (Final Fantasy X), Eve (Black Cat) |
I've been crafting for as long as I can remember, but it's only in the last 4 years or so that I have been making props specifically for cosplayers. My first prop was Cid Highwind's spear from Final Fantasy VII Advent Children, where I learned a great deal about what will and will not work in the world of cosplay props. Since then, I've gone on to do swords, daggers, shuriken, folding fans, and even a steampunk chainsaw that really cranks manually. In addition to cosplay, I also have some experience with theatre.
My props philosophy is all about balance between beauty and durability. While theatre props are used for shows for an hour or two with breaks in between and Halloween props may be carried for a couple of hours out on trick-or-treat, cosplay props need to withstand heavy wear and tear of 2-3 day conventions, being carried around for 12 hours or more, and being posed with and touched. A cosplayer that will be cosplaying the same character for 2 days of a convention, posing for multiple pictures, and maybe entering the Masquerade faces the challenge of having a prop or weapon that is sturdy enough to withstand a lot of jostling, handling, being mistakenly whacked on walls or doors, or dropped.
I use sturdy, durable materials for my cosplay props. My main materials are wood, epoxy, fiberglass, plastics, and foam. This makes your prop or weapon very solid and durable. I do balance sturdiness and weight and will never make a prop heavier than you can handle, (because I know the pain of carrying around a heavy Buster Sword for 10 hours, trust me!)
I will say up front that these materials are not cheap, and the time and labor it takes to saw wood, sand epoxy, and manipulate plastic, etc is factored into the cost of the commission. However, I will say with certainty that these props are ones that you will be able to use again and again. I do try to use environmentally friendly materials, such as water-based paints and dyes and non-toxic glues, as much as possible.
I make every prop tailored to the individual cosplayer who commissions it. I've done swords for tall guys as well as for female crossplayers, so there is no one-size-fits-all. I'm a cosplayer myself and I've found my fellow cosplayers to be people who really enjoy the art of costuming and are meticulous about the details, and I love to be a part of that!