Cosplay Shennanigans: Creating Captain Cold

WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS TOO MANY COLD PUNS.

It was around Halloween time, so that means the start of a new year's worth of cosplay planning.  I don't really know what gets me started on a costume.  Sometimes, it's a character that just compels me.  Sometimes it's a really COOL material or gadget that I wanna use.  Sometimes, it's those awesome cosplaying friends.  This time, for Captain Cold, it's a bit of all three.  

I previously planned to make an ice-based character because of this awesome device.  It's called a Torridal Emitter, which is a miniature fog emitter, with a built-in fan or blower.  It even has a bright blue LED as an indicator light, but it also highlights the fog as the white fog reflects the blue light. 

My first thought was Mr. Freeze.  After all, I loved the Batman: The Animated Series episode, "Heart of Ice."  I even planned out how to make the most complicated part, which is the dome head and helm collar.  I thought to use spandex coverings instead of coloring my skin white.  Somehow though, 2013 passed, and the costume never got past the planning stage.  I was somehow FROZEN in my indecision to move forward.  I wasn't sure why.  

Early 2014, I watched the first episode of Young Justice when it came on Netflix, and it reminded me of my ice-based costume plans, because Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, and Speedy were fighting four ice-based villains.  It was also the time Flashpoint Paradox came out, and I saw a different side of Captain Cold: Citizen Cold.  Being the leader and apparently most honorable of the Rogues, he would have been the guardian of Central city in Flash's absence.

This roused me a bit, but not enough to dust off my Fog Gun.  After all, during this time, I was making other costumes.

Then, fast forward to Fall of 2014, and I had gotten reacquainted with an old cosplay friend, someone so dedicated to cosplay that on the masquerade I first met her, she joined twice!  She was my new inspiration, motivation, and [apparently] fabric fairy.  She had an abundance of white faux fur, which she bestowed upon me.  When I saw that fur, my mind went back to those glimpses of Citizen Cold in Flashpoint Paradox, and that battle in the first episode of Young justice between Flash and Kid Flash and Captain Cold.... I had to take my Fog Gun out of COLD STORAGE... well, a plastic tupperware storage bin, but the same difference.   

Mr. Freeze was out; Captain Cold was now in production!

 

Faux fur on the glove's gauntlets.  

... and on the trim of the hood, which I LOVE LOVE LOVE the feel of!  

 Also, instead of altering a blue jumpsuit, I instead altered a matching pair of royal blue Scrub Pants and Jacket, which breathes more than a jumpsuit.  I also loved the yellow trim on Captain cold's belt,and if you've read my other cosplay articles, you'll know that I have an unhealthy love for pockets.  This let me create utility belt pockets where I can put my phone, cameras, and other important convention necessities like a portable phone charger and protein bars.

My fabric fairy, Amy of Dual Star Cosplay. It's her fault/virtues (depending on your perspective) that I unleashed Captain Cold upon this world of cosplay and conventions! 

 
All through this time, Amy, the fabric fairy, was helping me with things like zipper-sewing tips, but more importantly, she was my most vocal and encouraging force.  

All the sewing actually took a little under a couple of days to do, so it was rather CHILL.  My fabric fairy, did something else very awesome, and cosplayed an ice-based character, Ice from the 90s Justice League!  That was so COOL.  Cosplaying beside her was fun too as we liked searching out other ice-based characters, and making A LOT OF ICE PUNS!

The Coolest Photo out of Comikaze: Amy/Dual Star  as Ice, Ash  a Elsa, Frostplay  as Jack Frost, and myself as Captain Cold. 

 So perhaps, liking a character, and having cool gadgets were only the TIP OF THE ICEBERG (I promise, this is the last in this article), and sometimes the most important part was the human element, someone to encourage you, someone to have fun with, and most importantly, someone who say ice puns with.

Plus, our friends at Burton Photography let us have fun as Ice and Captain Cold:

How the cold-hearted treat heroes!

I... probably deserve that.

Why does she need my ice gun anyway? Doesn't she have her own powers?

I suppose being shot by my own ice gun, by someone who already has ice powers just doubles the irony.  Maybe that's Ice's powers after all.

John Garcia is a long-time convention goer and cosplayer. You can see some of his other cosplay constructions in our archives.

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