Carbon Costume

Alberto Scorfano is a character in the Disney Pixar movie, Luca. In the water, he is a blue and purple sea monster. He frequently visits the surface as a human boy. He encourages Luca to explore land and acts as a guide. Contrastingly to Luca, Alberto is daring and overzealous. His goal is to ride a real Vespa, which happens to be the prize in the Portorosso Cup. Despite claiming he’s an expert on humans, he isn’t always correct. For instance, he thinks “What’s wrong with you, stupido?” is a greeting.

Abner Krill (played by David Dastmalchian), better known by the name Polka-Dot Man, is a metahuman and a member of Task Force X in the movie The Suicide Squad.  Polka-Dot Man is able to create weapons out of multi-colored dots grown from his body as the result of an interdimensional virus.  Along with Peacemaker, Ratcatcher 2, and Bloodsport, Polka-Dot Man seeks to stop Starro the Conqueror.  Polka-Dot Man’s costume is very reminiscent of a vintage pilot, including googles and a skull cap.  To recreate his look, you’ll want to set aside some time to paint polka dots onto a light grey jumpsuit.  It can be difficult to find a grey cap, but a little grey paint can help soften the darker colors more commonly available.

Nandor the Relentless (portrayed by Kayvan Novak) is a more than 750-years-old Iranian vampire on the FX show What We Do in the Shadows.  Nandor is the roommate of Laszlo, Nadja, and Colin.  Currently, Guillermo de la Cruz serves at Nandor’s familiar.  Nandor’s costumes are often over-the-top, with beautifully decorated capes and period clothes that harken back to his origins.  Don’t be afraid to go a little over the top for this costume, and if you’re going to splurge, make sure it’s on a cape that will help you get into the vampire spirit.

Initially meant as a way to redefine Batman’s origin, the Zero Year comic run has since become a huge crossover event featuring many of the most well-known faces in Gotham. Parts of it were even used to influence the last season of the hit show Gotham and fans still go back to the comic run almost a decade after its release for Snyder and Tynion’s take on the fearsome vigilante.

In this iteration of Batman he often wears a horned cowl, grey suit with a black Batman symbol on his chest, purple gloves, a yellow utility belt, a black utility strap around his thigh, and black boots.

Because the comic run is not as widely known as the movie versions, finding the specific suit can be difficult. The one pictured here is close and includes the cowl, though you will have to request the gloves be left off if you purchase from the linked seller. For cosplayers who can invest a little more, Etsy sellers offer muscle suits that can then be painted and customized more specifically, but they do not come cheap.

With the linked suit, the utility belt is included. However if you go through an Esty seller – as with the suit – there are many who make the utility belts though they charge a great deal more for their craftmanship.

Anne Lister was a very real person whose life caught the eye of Sally Wainwright. A lifelong learner now known as one of history’s more openly queer figures, Lister is an LGBTQIA icon whose life has been dramatized for the show Gentleman Jack where she is played to perfection by Suranne Jones.

Lister’s style is very severe. She wears her hair curled up in small buns and often wears a top hat. A white shirt with a strong ruffle wears well under a short, fitted jacket and fitted skirt. Black button boots and a black cane round out the look of a woman who brooks no nonsense and knows her own mind well enough to follow it regardless of what others may say.

Massimo Marcovaldo is a character in the Disney Pixar movie, Luca. He is a fisherman who sells fish door to door in Portorosso. In spite of his intimidating stature and skill with a knife, he is a caring man. His soft heart particularly extends to his daughter, Giulia. He takes Luca and Alberto into his home and shows them similar affection for befriending his child. The Marcovaldo family cat on his shoulder is named Machiavelli.

David Harbour may be best known as Jim Hopper but his time in the MCU may replace his Stranger Things role as his most iconic. Alexei – better known as the Red Guardian – serves as a father to Natasha and Yelena when they’re undercover in America. Once back in Russia, however, he finds himself on the wrong side of Dreykov and locked up in a super max prison where his only hope of freedom are the girls he returned to the Red Room decades ago.

The Red Guardian has gone through many iterations in the comics, but in the MCU he has only one look. A pre-made suit provides all of the straps and pouches Alexei has on his suit while a helmet, fake beard, and white suit round out the look.

Kirk (portrayed by Will Brittain) is a minor antagonist in the horror film The Forever Purge. Kirk is a cowboy who works on Caleb Tucker’s ranch.  Kirk’s costume is primarily black.  He wears a black cowboy hat, shirt, and pants, with some small pops of color from the makeup around his eyes, his holster, and the plethora of blood spattered over his person.

As a young girl, Lisa Sherwood was kidnapped by a village of cannibals. After being chained to a wall and slowly eaten for weeks, she broke free and ate her former captors alive. As the Hag, she sacrifices survivors to the Entity in the game Dead by Daylight, though she also occasionally eats them. The Hag’s costume is simple, but some patience will be required in order to apply the body paint necessary to achieve the finished look.

Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) returns for 2021’s The Suicide Squad, directed by James Gunn. A former psychiatrist turned crazed vigilante, Harley survives the attack on the original squad and finds herself joining a new team. In contrast to the first iteration, Harley is no longer romantically involved with the Joker. As oppose to previous films, Harley sticks to her classic red and black color palette, with inspirations from the Batman: Arkham City video game. Her second outfit is shown her, featuring a ruffled dress to match her playful, feminine aesthetic.