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Wanting a challenge after 2017's project, I took it upon myself to see what I could craft in the span of one year. I had just picked up The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for PlayStation 3, and what better of a character to build than my very own Dragonborn Argonian? 2018 brought the traveling alchemist & mage to life, earning the nickname of "The Lizard Wizard."
HOW LONG DID IT TAKE?
Over the span of one year, I spent approximately 800 hours building Ryu the Argonian. Most of this was a trial & error process, so many of the hiccups along the way were accounted for in this timeframe.
WHAT PARTS MOVE?
I wanted to give Ryu an organic feel when people interacted with him. To do so, I wanted specific parts to move. His bottom eyelids can be manually moved to blink, the jaw opens when speaking, and his tail & toes move while walking.
WHAT'S UP WITH STILTS?
This cosplay pushed my creativity over the edge, allowing me to venture into new mechanics that I had never before thought of dipping into. My first pair was VERY experimental, crafted from wood, PVC couplings & metal. They were covered in fabric that was spray-painted and just did not match the rest of the outfit.
A few months later, I completely ripped them apart & used the old base to craft new stilts. Instead of fabric, I used craft foam to make scales and used bits of faux fur & leather straps to make Argonian "boots." Both sets of stilts featured moving toes.
Ryu stands just shy of 8 feet tall with the stilts putting my feet at 2 feet off the ground.
WHAT'S IT MADE OF?
My goal with Ryu was to embrace his character through his design. My Argonian is a traveling mage & alchemist, and I wanted to show this by including as many naturalistic elements as possible. Both sets of horns are natural dog chews & his necklace features real starling skulls; his staff is made of real deer antlers, rabbit fur, seashells, and sea glass. There are bits of leather throughout the costume, and along his belt are turkey feet, a deer skull, and gourds. In hindsight, this was a terrible idea for the weight I carried while wearing the cosplay. In the end, I felt that his character shone through his design.
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I spent approximately $500 building Ryu.
APPEARANCES
& AWARDS
Anime Midwest 2018 - Chicago, IL
Kitsune Kon 2018 - Green Bay, WI - Best in Show
Next Level of Cosplay 2018 - Semi-Finalist
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Game Trade Anniversary Event 2018 - De Pere, WI
