Aeden Roberts wearing a cosplay mash up of Princess Peach, Saga, Kingdom Hearts, and Super Mario Brothers. March 19, 2016
by GABRIEL GALINDEZ
Cosplay has become a staple of comic conventions. Typically when the term “sexy” is thrown around it’s regulated to female cosplayers. Lately, men, especially in the LGBT community, have been dressing (or undressing) and pushing the bounds of sexy cosplay.
Aedan Roberts, 31, Bushwick, an artist and well-known local cosplayer, is probably one of the first to start this trend (google “Sexy Finn” and he comes up as the first image). Here are a few tips to making your own cosplay with his advice. To start with Aedan says, “Sexy cosplay is a person who is dedicated to getting the essence of the character but taking it in an irreverent, nude, silly direction.”
1) Go Iconic – Since a lot skin will be shown, it’s a good idea to pick something that will be easily recognizable with just a few elements attached. Aedan says, “The biggest thing is you grab that iconic character and then you remove everything about them that isn’t a part of that iconography.”
2) Alterations on Existing Costumes – One option is to go to a local costume shop or Halloween store, and online cosplay stores and even comic conventions to get an already made piece you can change to fit your needs. Aedan says, “My Mario costume was a completely altered Mario costume that you get from a Halloween store but I got it for a 7 year old.”
3) Props and Accessories are Key – Look to the places in #2 as well as Etsy.com. You can make your own gear using Foamcore or through 3D printing. Aedan says with a 3D printer, “You can create beautiful armor and props and swords and shoulder pads, necklaces and jewelry. All out of it that’s incredibly accurate to how it looks in whatever pop culture thing you’re getting your character from.”
4) Don’t Be Lazy – Aedan says, “You can go off and buy a pair of batman underwear and tiny little cape and just run around in your underwear and be called slutty Batman, but that’s not really slutty cosplay, that’s lazy cosplay.”
5) Body Type Doesn’t Matter – Not all cosplayers have the same physical characteristics as the character they want to portray but that shouldn’t be a deterrent. Aedan says “It’s not about accuracy it’s about embodying the thing that you admire.”
6) Hygiene! – Since most will be wearing little to no clothing, it’s best to be clean and smell good. Comiccons are notorious for being hot and odorous at times so it’s a good idea to stay fresh. Also don’t be afraid to manscape if necessary.
7) Be an Exhibitionist – There’s already an element of attention grabbing in cosplay so don’t be afraid to let it all hang out.
8) Be Respectful – Comic Conventions are all ages events so be mindful of the crowd. “If you’re going to a more mainstream convention that has children and young people in every audience member all over the world, there’s no self-selecting group of kinks just running around, it’s a little mixed bag of everything, a little care is necessary to just be respectful.”