Carbon Costume Posts by A.C. Rodgers
Jillian Holtzmann from Ghostbusters (2016)
Jillian Holtzmann (played by Kate McKinnon) is the quintessential mad scientist type. If there is trouble to get in – as long as it’s scientific – Holtzmann is there. Whether it’s ghosts, laser technology, or nuclear theories, Jillian Holtzmann is up for it. It puts her in the line of fire more often than not. But if it keeps her friends safe, that’s where she wants to be.
For any Ghostbusters costume you’re going to need a few things: a tan jumpsuit, a Ghostbusters patch, a name tag, and a proton pack. You can go for a more screen-accurate pack (top) or an inflatable one that is more affordable (bottom). You will also want a pair of sturdy boots that you can run it but also walk over debris in. After all, those proton packs do some serious damage and not just to ghosts.
When cosplaying Jillian specifically you’ll want a long blonde wig you can style after her hair. You’ll also want two pair of yellow-lensed protective goggles and a green protective gloves. Finally you will need reflective safety tape and fabric glue to keep it in place.
Elisa Esposito from The Shape of Water
Elisa Esposito (played by Sally Hawkins) is unqiue among monster movie heroines for many reasons. She works as a cleaner in a secret military installation. And, of course, she can’t speak. Nobody is quite sure why – until the end of the movie that is. But her inability to speak doesn’t stop her from changing the world around her through her compassion.
Elisa has two costumes throughout the film. One is the uniform she wears at work. The other is the standard clothing worn by a working class woman in the 1960s.
For both costumes you will need a brown wig cut in a bob and a headband: a green one for her work uniform or one that matches the dress of her day to day uniform. You can also use makeup modeling wax and this tutorial to replicate Elisa’s mysterious scars.
When Elisa is at work she wears a dark green dress with a collar covered by a green apron. She usually wears an olive cardigan and shoes to match. When at work Elisa usually has hard boiled eggs as her lunch, so you can carry a few fake ones like those listed above. Or, if you can keep them fresh, take a few as a snack at the convention!
Elisa’s personal clothing is a little more colorful. A red dress with matching headband and a cardigan in a slightly darker color with matching shoes is a look she wears toward the middle of the film. These are also great cross-cosplay pieces that small details – like the scars and the eggs – can lock into one character or another!
Davy Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean
What horrors love can turn a man to do, Davy Jones knows only too well. The dreaded Lord of the Deep, once charged with guiding the souls of those who died at sea, turned cruel when the goddess Calypso did not return his love. Played by Bill Nighy, he stops at nothing to show us why we (and Will Turner) should fear the deep in the Disney series Pirates of the Caribbean.
There’s a lot that goes into a costume like Davy Jones. Most of the look in the movie relied on CGI so getting something accurate isn’t particularly easy. Makeup tutorials like this one help, though. And you will need to distress the pieces of the costume to fit Jones’ ages-old and sea-weary look. You’ll also want a large quantity of sea shells and sand to give your clothes the look of a man who has slept at the bottom of the sea for centuries.
Of course you need the actual costume pieces too. A Cthulhu mask gives you some of Jones’ beard tentacles while tentacle “horns” add some on top of your head. You can either use these with a bald cap or attach the tentacles to your pirate hate .
For the rest of Jones’ clothes you’ll need a shirt, vest, overcoat, pants, thick belt, and boots.
And Davy Jones would not be Davy Jones without the music box to remind him of the past that led to his fate.
Pitch Black from Rise of the Guardians
Nearly every child knows you should be afraid of the dark. Adults just forget. But in Rise of the Guardians, Pitch Black makes sure we remember. Voiced by Jude Law, DreamWorks’ Pitch Black is equal parts nightmare, bogeyman, and the shadow under your bed that keeps your feet tucked up tight under your blanket. He is every bit as terrifying as he in the original books by William Joyce. And it has made him one of DreamWorks’ most enduring villains.
There are two ways to go about a Pitch cosplay. The first is to forgo any body paint and let the clothing speak for itself. The other is to use grey body paint to mimic his otherworldly look. Either option works!
Regardless of which option you choose, there are a few things you will need. A black wig and black boots to start. If you want to go with the canon interpretation of Pitch you will also need a long black robe. If you want a more fandom-based version you’ll need black pants, a black shirt, and a long flowing black sweater.
(This costume also converts easily into a Sandman costume if you’re going to a multi-day con!)
Lady Dimitrescu from Resident Evil Village
Lady Alcina Dimitrescu has already taken the internet by storm. A beautiful vampire standing over nine feet tall with a killer smile, it’s easy to see why she caused a splash when she appeared in January’s Maiden. Her history is still largely unknown and will have to stay that way until Resident Evil: Village comes out this May. That hasn’t stopped fans from putting together cosplays in the Lady’s honor, our own among them!
While it is possible to use stilts to mimic the Lady’s height, it’s not recommended. Instead this cosplay focuses on Lady Dimitrescu’s style. A wide brimmed black hat, black leather gloves, black boots, and black flower pin all stand in sharp contrast to her flowing white empire waist gown. Her skin is also ghostly white which can be recreated using body paint. If you’d prefer to skip the body paint you can use a face painting kit to recreate the sharp lines and slightly undead look that gives away Lady Dimitrescu’s vampiric nature.
Finish the look with a dark brown wig. Lady Dimitrescu wears her hair pinned up in tight curls from the 1950s which you will have to recreate yourself. There are several tutorials on YouTube both on curling synthetic wigs and on recreating Dimitrescu’s look.
Be sure and put on your favorite red lipstick and you’re ready to rule a castle of your own.
Muffy from Animal Crossing
Muffy may not look like the friendliest islander. But look van be very deceiving. She is classified as a “sisterly” villager and she certainly lives up to the title. Her elegant style and welcoming personality make her a delight on just about any island. And with a little DIY you’ll have a Muffy costume perfect for an island – or convention – of your own!
Using purple and light pink paint, add stripes to a set of basic ram horns. Then use the lace panels listed here as the decorative headband that Muffy wears between her horns. Once the horns are ready you only need a few pieces to complete your costume.
A black wig, purple top, black belt, and black skirt make up the bulk of Muffy’s outfit. You can wear the skirt under the top and then add the belt. Or you can leave the belt off entire and tuck the shirt into the high waist of the skirt. Either option works for Muffy’s style!
White leggings (with a pocket for convention convenience) and black ballet flats round out the rest of her look. And finally you can accessorize with some black nail polish to finish off the costume!
Roy from Papa Louie
Roy isn’t what you would call “brave”. Sure he’s dealt with pizza monsters but he didn’t want to! What else was he supposed to do as a delivery driver? The customer was waiting for their pizza!
For the most part Roy wears a red polo, regular blue jeans, a brown leather belt, and grey shoes with red shoe laces. He has an alternate appearance with a long sleeve red polo on under a grey shirt. The grey shirt has a Creameo (the in-game answer to the Oreo) on the chest and the red shirt’s sleeves are slightly bunched up. The alternate appearance also has brown shoes instead of grey but the laces are still red.
Shovel Knight
Shovel Knight might not be the tallest fighter on the field. But if his enemies underestimate him, that’s their problem. Literally. Armed with his trusty shovel blade and guided by the code of Shovelry he is almost always the last one standing when the battle is over.
Taking on the Shovel Knight’s helm requires a little bit of DIY. You’ll need to get a set of costume armor, some spray paint, painter’s tape, super glue, and large fake horns.
Paint the armor blue then – when it’s fully cured – use the painter’s tape and whatever newspaper you have lying around to cover up the majority of the armor. Then use the yellow spray paint to put on the edging details. That includes a ring of yellow around the seal where you have glued the horns to your helmet after removing them from their original helmet.
Finally grab a trust shovel and head to battle! An actual shovel may violate the rules of some cons, however. In those cases you can follow a tutorial like this one to make one that is safe to take into the venue.
Robin Hood from Disney’s Robin Hood (1973)
Disney’s Robin Hood is one of its most enduring films. From its debut in 1973 to today, it’s a Disney classic that’s still delighting families everywhere. Its dashing hero (voiced by Brian Bedford) stole into audience’s hearts like only a fox can and he’s still there today! No matter how many times Robin’s tale is retold, Bedford’s rendition is among the most loved.
There are two ways to approach this costume. One uses body paint and a face paint kit to get a whole-body look like Robin’s. The other is to leave your face and arms alone, then rely on orange leggings, a fox tail, and fox ears to mimic Robin’s look. In both cases you’ll want medieval-style shoes, a green tunic, a broad leather belt, and a yellow Robin Hood hat. The hat’s color is key because in most versions with a similar hat it is green. The yellow sets this aside as Disney’s classic Robin as much as the fox tail does.
Finally you’ll want a bow and arrow as well as a quiver. As with all weapons, however, make sure the they’re allowed at the convention you plan to attend!
Dr. Animo from Ben 10
Dr. Animo is a mad scientist. And you can take that just about any way you want. He’s angry. He’s reckless with his science. And, well, his conversations with his stuffed mutant toys are a little involved. Voice by Dwight Schultz, Dr. Animo is no fan of Ben or his family. And he will stop at nothing to mutate the whole world until it fits his vision!
Dr. Animo has several different costumes but they all share a similar base. A dark grey tank top and brown pants that tuck into tall black boots. Two boot options are listed above, one that is more of a riding boot and the other is a pair of rain boots. Each has its uses depending on where you’re going to wear the costume and which works better for your needs.
In addition to that base you’ll need tall black gloves that you remove the fingertips from and either a silver circlet for your head or a colander that you can make antennae for using tin foil. The foil won’t create an exact match but it’ll get you close without needing a welder! He has other gear including a headset and a chest harness that you can get close to using the items listed above.
Other versions of Dr. Animo wear a long green cape over a bare chest instead of the tank top and chest harness. You’ll have to tatter the edges of the cape by hand, however.
