The 25 craziest costumes we spotted at ComiCon
The city’s most glamorous geeks flocked to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre this weekend to pay tribute to their favourite comic-book, animé and video game characters. Cosplayers take their getups incredibly seriously—and we spotted handcrafted creations that took months (and hundreds of dollars) to make. Here, 25 of the weekend’s wildest looks, including bombshell Wonder Woman, a Loki outfit made from plastic binders and a Pokémon costume sewn by someone’s grandma.
Rebecca Maynard
22, costume maker
Character: Starfire, the DC Comics alien superhero Costume cost: $10
“I’m in love with Starfire. Since she’s not human, she doesn’t really know how to interact with people. I can kind of relate. She’s also brutally strong and badass. I had all the materials from this costume left over so it only cost me $10.”
Danielle White
23, jeweller
Character: Sasuke Uchiha, from Naruto
Cost: $400
“My girlfriend and I met because of these cosplays, so we’ve developed quite the connection to them. I’ve liked this character since I was a kid, and being able to capture him, even as a female, is awesome. I handmade everything, including styling the wig. It took lots of hours in front of the sewing machine and plenty of reference images. I bought the contacts online—they were $250 on their own.”
Becky Hamilton
25, student
Character: Naruko Uzumaki, from Naruto
Cost: $185
“Naruko Uzumaki is a fan-made female version of Naruto. I’ve always loved gender-bending characters because it gives me more creative inspiration to work with. This character represents the other side of my life—I have work, school and real-life duties, but she brings me back to the fantasy and cosplay worlds I’d sometimes rather be a part of. I’ve been cosplaying variations of Naruto for years, so bits and pieces of the costume were gifted to me from admirers and friends, but the fabric alone was $100.”
Dylan and Ryan Higgins
23, communications coordinator; 27, customer service rep
Characters: Frogeta and Vegeta, from Dragon Ball Z
Cost: $185 each
Dylan: “We’re Frogeta and Vegeta. Why? Because Dragon Ball Z is the be all and end all of life.” Ryan: “We like to power up! The wigs alone were over $100 each.”
Danica Sherman
21, student
Character: Mandalorian, from Star Wars Cost: $100
“I’m a Mandalorian, particularly of the Zechia clan. I’m a huge Star Wars fan. My dad pretty much raised me on it. I’ve always wanted to go as a custom character. I made everything myself, and bought most materials from the dollar store. It involved a bit of sewing, some nuts and bolts, and lots of hot glue. ”
Josh Botelho
20, teacher
Character: Irwin Swift, from Attack on Titan Cost: $200
“I cosplay commanding people, so I like Irwin Swift because he’s a leader. Plus, he’s tall, like me. I bought each part of the outfit from different sellers.”
Natalie Glackin
22, movie theatre employee
Character: Foxfire Ahri, from League of Legends Cost: $100
“I love how cosplay is able to bring out my inner confidence—I’m kind of a shy person but it’s empowering to dress in such a bold outfit. I actually bought the costume off of someone else. The tail is made of spray-painted foam and is attached with coat hangers.”
Lauren Monroe and Annabelle Gerke
25, HR writer; 22, curtain maker
Characters: Sapphire and Ruby from Steven’s Universe Cost: $200 for both
Monroe: “Sapphire is reserved and always looking ahead, so I can relate. Sometimes I need to live in the moment more. Ruby is grounded and headstrong. They kind of balance each other out. ” Gerke: “Lauren is my fiancée, and our characters are in a relationship, so it’s a cute couple’s costume. I made the costumes, and Lauren did the makeup.”
Brandie Leahti
23, cosmetics table manager
Character: Kousetsu Samonji, from Touken Ranbu Cost: $0
“I recently started playing Touken Ranbu, and he really stood out to me as a powerful character. My outfit was sponsored by a company, because I’m reviewing it.”
Natsuki Edwards
21, photographer
Character: Nozomi Tojo, from Love Live! Cost: $80
“Nozomi is my favourite character. I feel like I could really get along with her. We both like tarot cards. I bought this costume off a friend in a Facebook group.”
Jessica Muniz
21, student
Character: Darth Talon, from Star Wars
Cost: $200
“I’m meeting up with a Star Wars group, and I thought this character would challenge my skills. I made the whole outfit. The tentacles are stretch fabric stuffed with pillow filling. I hand-painted the tattoos on the bodysuit, and the armour is foam. It took about a month to make.”
Natasha Day
20, student
Character: Loki of Asgard, from The Avengers
Cost: $200
“Loki is my favourite. I really felt connected to what his character goes through in the film. I’ve worn this so many times that now people tell me that when they watch the films they see me. I made it by hand over the course of two years. Most of it is actually made from plastic binders I stole from my sister.”
Peter Marier
26, teacher
Character: Greninja, from Pokémon Cost: $100
“Greninja has always been my favourite new-generation Pokémon character. I got to design this outfit myself—I saw online that someone had used fans as hands and thought it would work perfectly. I hand-sewed everything with my grandmother. It took about three weeks.”
Montana Hakker
19, student
Character: Wonder Woman Cost: $100
“My friends and I planned a collaboration of bombshell characters for this event. I hadn’t played Wonder Woman before, so I thought, why not? The outfit probably took 75 hours to make. I sewed and glued—and warbled.”
Emma Catherine
18, student
Character: Harley Quinn Cost: $100
“I love Harley Quinn, and I already had the outfit. I’ve done several versions of her, including her onesie and nurse outfits. I like how she’s crazy. It matches my personality. I made the outfit except for the shorts, and it took about a week.”
Shanshan Wang
20, student
Character: Flower nymph Cost: $55
“This an original costume. I call my character a flower nymph.”
N Dao
18, student
Character: Flower nymph Cost: $55
“We made the costumes ourselves, probably in about two days. The flowers themselves were $50, plus another $5 for the dresses.”
Jess, Royalbunny and Wild Arum
15, 20 and 25, students
Characters: Celty Sturluson, Shizuo Heiwajima and Izaya Orihara from Durarara
Costs: $140, $0, $20
Jess: “I chose Celty because I really love her character design and story in the series. Playing her has helped me become more confident in my appearance.” Royalbunny: “I dressed as Shizuo because I can relate to the character. He’s really independent, and that’s something I want for myself.” Wild Arum: “I’m playing Izaya because I’ve always had a particular fondness for the more devious characters. Let’s face it, everyone loves a bad boy.”
Christina Ioannides
22, student
Character: Poison Ivy Cost: $150
“I’ve always been a fan of the pin-up connotation of this character. I handmade this corset and everything underneath, but I bought the dress.”
Kyle Saari
28, solar panel installer
Character: Thor Cost: $60
“I’m dressed as Thor mostly because so many people say I look like him. I have lots of fun playing his character—I’ve worn my costume to places like Southeast Asia.”
Shannon Beliak
19, student
Character: Little Red Riding Hood Cost: $50
“This was always one of my favourite fairy tales growing up, and I’m also a huge fan of the musical Into the Woods.”
