These are original designs, that will probably get done way before any of the others on this list—though Silver Age Batman and Manga Beast may beat them. I’ve been meaning to redo my Left Arm of Doom for a while now, out of plastic and metal this time. That 50’s style spaceman has been something I’ve been wanting to do forever; again, it’s something I’m going to have to sink some money and time into, because I want to do it right. Dogberry is a time traveler, and is part of much larger project called The Watch. But I can’t start The Watch until I finish Dogberry’s outfit, and I can’t do that until I can sink the time into doing it right.
Naturally, I’m not wearing any of these this Halloween. I’m wearing this:
Here at Axelrod Costuming, we subscribe to the notion that if you don’t fist-pump when you first see our works, we haven’t done our job. It’s a quaint notion in today’s wintery economic climate, but one we’ve stood behind. And it’s served us well. Why, take a look at the reaction of our latest customer, documented by Robert Bohl:
Certainly, he looks pleased. But have we really done our job? Is this costume fist-pump worthy?
Yes, as it turns out, it is.
Another satisfied customer. And remember, Jared Axelrod costumes are not just awesome, they’re fist-pumpingly awesome!
Ultimate Thor, Captain Falcon, Iron Fist
Ultimate Thor has it all: a giant hammer, a light-up costume, and a super-cool goatee. I’d need absolutely massive arms for this costume, but those are good things to have around anyway. I started a Captain Falcon costume once upon a time, it’s one I really should finish. Ever since Matt Fraction and Ed Brubaker reinvented Iron Fist as post-modern pulp hero, he’s been one of my favorite characters. As a bonus, JR could dress up as Colleen Wing, and walk around in a track suit with a katana. Everyone wins with Iron Fist.
Spike, Gunslinger, Captain Harlock
21 costumes and only three of them are anime-based? Weird. Most of the anime characters I like don’t really have distinctive outfits, or are monsters (I should really make a Hollow and some point to battle Nick’s Ichigo). One of my favorite anime films of all time is “Arcadia Of My Youth,” and it’s hero, Harlock, has a raygun/sword, so that’s kind of a no-brainer. Gunslinger is, in my opinion, one of the best things about “Trinity Blood,” because it’s hard to top a raygun-weilding robot with a dry sense of humor. Go ahead. Try. I’ll wait. Spike is an outfit I’ve wanted to do since I saw my first episode of “Cowboy Bebop.” I’ve only wanted to it more since I’ve seen so many Spike costumes that come close, but that don’t structure the outfit like a suit So yes, part of my desire is to show folks how it’s done. Once again, I am okay with that.
Maskless, brown-suited Wolverine is my second favorite version of the character—I’ve already done my favorite—and it’s not a version I see that often. This version of the Beast—from the upcoming X-Men: Misfits manga—is too cute for words. Horrible to move around in, but too cute for words. Though, after finishing Sonic the Hedgehog, Manga Beast is looking like the most likely to be made next. Nightcrawler, however, is really only going to happen if I can dump a ridiculous amount of money into it. I’d want the red and white parts to be leather, a naturally-moving tail, and a really snazzy mask. And in order to justify the expense, it would have to be perfect. Well, it would have to be perfect anyway. Nightcrawler’s my favorite X-Man.
Superman, The Middleman, Captain America
I feel like now that I have good Batman suit, I need a good Superman. You know, just in case. JR has talked about doing the “Super-Lois” costume from ALL STAR SUPERMAN, so Supes might just be a possibility in the near future. Captain America is a costume I’ve wanted since I was 10 years old, and I want to do it right, with scale armor and everything. I may be only who sees the Middleman’s Ike jacket as cool. And I’m okay with that. ‘Cause it is cool.
This costume was a challenge for me, and it forced me to do things in new ways, while at the same time bringing back old skills I hadn’t used in years. It was a lot of fun though. A huge amount of fun. So much fun, I think I’m gonna have to do this again next year.
I’m not really a “drag guy,” but dude, for these outfits, I would be. Ever since a fellow on the costume forum I frequent show how awesome a drag Wonder Woman could be, the possibility has been on my mind. I’ve always like the black-and-gold Batgirl costume, and I’d dress as Lara Croft for every convention if I thought I could pull it off (I can be campy for Batgirl and Wonder Woman, but I feel for Lara I’d have to have some semblance of “passing,” for me to be happy with it). More than any of the other costumes on this list, these three are the least likely, mainly due to the tremendous amounts of body-shaping I’d have to do. Which is too bad. I’d make an awesome Wonder Woman.
With Halloween fast approaching, and that “dream cosplay” meme making the rounds, I thought I’d countdown to the holiday by talking about the costumes that have been on my slate for awhile now. Will any of these get done? I can’t say. But it’s fun to dream.
Silver Age Iron Man, Batman and Green Arrow
As much as I love the current looks of all of these characters—well, Iron Man and Batman’s—there’s something wonderfully charming and distinct about their Silver Age costumes. Iconic, really, in the true sense of that word. Batman-in-blue in particular has been a costume I’ve been wanting to make, what with this shoulder-poofed cape and his tendency to smile. And with May of ’09 being Batman’s 70th anniversary, I may just have to.
The winner of the Halloween Costume Deal requested a Sonic the Hedgehog costume for his son, so here’s the progress on that. Sonic’s head is garganutan, so naturally, that had to be taken care of first. The mask is huge, but it’s light enough that I don’t think the kid is going to be weighted down by it.
(That’s my lovely wife wearing the mask in the picture. She’s a great model.)
Now I just need to figure out that jellybean of a nose…
An author, an illustrator, a graphic designer, a sculptor, a costume designer, a podcaster and quite a few other things that he's lost track of but will no doubt remember when the situation calls for it.
He is a founding member of the daily flash-fiction website 365 TOMORROWS, and the writer and producer of two science-fiction podcasts, “The Voice Of Free Planet X” and the serial “Aliens You Will Meet.
He is not domestic, he is a luxury, and in that sense, necessary.
