some 2019 female MK9 Sub Zero ( I called her Kuaini Liang ) drawings and mock-up render I have based on my cosplay//
It was a con at Hồ Chí Minh city so long ago. I haven't revisited this cosplay since but MK9 Kuai has always been my favorite.
The character I cosplay is an original concept Sub Zero from the video game series Mortal Kombat. I reimagined him as a medieval character complete with armor head to toe, sword, shield and of course a knight’s helmet that resembled the menpo mask depicted in the video games.
There are elements of samurai, Roman, Viking and medieval European influences. The character I created spawns from a love of all my favorite fandoms such as Lord of the rings, Fantasy RPGs like Skyrim and the Witcher series. Mortal Kombat on the other hand has a deeper place in my heart since it was major part of my childhood and a video game that my brother and I bonded over. We both equally know all the lore to each character and together have played and beaten almost every game in series over the years.
Sub Zero was always a character I gravitated towards growing up. His combos in the game were brutal and worth taking the time to learn, and of course his ice powers (who wouldn’t love that?). His story line is incredibly interesting being the grandmaster of a mystical Ninja clan called the lin Kuei.
Sub Zero to me is a stoic, formidable character and his presence always reminded me of someone of nobility such as a knight. Of course that is not the main reason why I chose to go medieval. all my cosplays including work I’ve done for others to an extent have been original designs. This has allow me to be more creative and free with my builds instead of stressing to replicate for accuracy.
I had my first fan reaction from a couple of people that recognized me from the previous year. As soon as I took off my helmet they shouted “omg it’s the Kenobi guy from last year!, we can’t believe you out did yourself this year”. This was at a small event located in Temple, Texas that I attended with a local comic con. Other than that to my surprise I’ve received lots of love and admiration from the online cosplay community and my peers.
Normally it’s tricky to change up a character online then to receive negative reactions from people. Luckily the people I communicate and engage with are for the most part other cosplayers and makers who accept originality. I absolutely cannot wait to attend a convention this year and get dehydrated while looking awesome!
THE OUTFIT
The entire costume revolves around a basic male armor template Purchased from Evilted.com and a basic knight helmet template from my friend Ashen Warrior props. The rest is completely free hand using Eva Foam.
Over the course of 2020 I started off first by building the chest armor. I loved the aesthetic of Sub zero’s shoulder armor from Mortal Kombat 11. By complete accident from a incorrectly measure forearm piece fit perfectly atop the shoulders. Continued from there and added the noticeable arch that swoops up towards the neck. I didn’t know at the time but eventually it would cause issues for mobility when wearing my helmet. I loved the look and continued to keep the shoulders the same despite movement complications.
From there I Made my own MK dragon symbol stencil, slapped that on the chest using Eva foam and called it good. The lower torso was missing something so I added interlocking armor that also covered my waist. I did this after browsing concept art and paying homage to the classic ninja Tabards depicted in the video games. I continued to add layer after layer through the year.
As I stated before there was no clear vision for what this costume would look like in the end. Eventually I would complete the armor just by doing free hand foamsmithing.
Late 2020 and the beginning of this year I decided to retire my original sub zero costume and recycle the materials. That was my first costume but it felt right to use the materials for this evolutionary step in my cosplay journey. The original costume was made using parts from a cheap sub zero costume from Spirit Halloween, cotton fabric, a leather bomber jacket from a yard sale and whatever I could find.
These were the missing pieces to Medieval sub zero and added layers of details that sold the character and satisfied my creative hunger. The shield and weapons were also done free hand and referencing random pictures from google. I learned a lot from doing costume and prop weapons commissions through the year.
Keeping the costume comfortable, form fitting but also provide full range of motion for posing and traversing crowds. This forced me to slow down and think before I made, making sure that each piece interlocks correctly. I don’t use any software on computers at the moment (it’s something I should definitely be doing and would save me a lot of time). Now it’s my most detailed and comfortable costume to date.
My wife and I recently did a photoshoot at a local state park. We hiked a mile or two up and down hills and across creeks. Other than being hot under the armor which is expected I was absolutely comfortable. The hardest part was really taking the time to build something durable that should last many conventions and hikes through the woods.
DISCOVERING COSPLAY
My awareness of “cosplay” and prop making didn’t start until late 2019. Before then for years my brother and i would dress up together for Halloween. We both have always customized our costumes since we were young. We were very close growing up and what kept us tougher through our parents divorce and other hardships in our childhood was video games. We grew up very poor but our imagination was rich. We spent our childhood acting out our favorite characters. Then using sticks as lightsabers so on and so forth.
Flash forward 20 years. What motivated me was a Sub Zero mask my brother mailed to me as gift. I had just moved to Texas from Oregon with my wife and daughter. During that time, i slowly sunk into a deep depression and a bad place mentally. I felt isolated, alone and lost. I was away from my childhood town, friends, family and all that i knew. I contemplated suicide which was something I struggled with for years. This was something I’ve dealt with all my life. I have PTSD and depression from events in my childhood and teenage years. Each day is different, I’m either really happy or fearful , anxious and angry. I am always in fight or flight mode.
Well, my little brother sent in the mail a cheap Sub Zero costume and a really expensive mask out of nowhere as a gift. The costume was too small and there were aspects of it that I did not like.
Sure I was appreciative that he gave me a costume but I knew I could remake it. So with no costume making, sewing or cosplay knowledge at all. I set out to make a Sub Zero costume and was determined to make my brother proud. I borrowed my wife’s grandmothers sewing machine and went for it.
Taking apart the original armor pieces, a leather bomber jacket and whatever I could find I made something out of shear will. After that I felt confident enough to make my brother a costume as well but this time using Eva Foam. I spent weeks researching and overspending on materials from Amazon.
Eventually we both had our dream costumes and I was so proud ( mind you they were terrible) but we thought we looked so badass and worth taking out. That same year he flew out to Texas and we attended our first convention together and first time portraying our favorite characters. It was a dream come true. Having people complimenting and taking pictures with us was mind blowing, we felt like celebrities for a day. Two bothers from a small town now in a large convention amongst thousands of people, a community that embraces dressing up and expressing your fandom.
Prop making has changed my life in ways I never thought it would. Personally it unlocked this creative and artistic passion I never knew I had. I’ve always been creative but not focused. It’s a hobby that keeps me sane and happy. It’s a beautiful and wonderful way to express one’s self. Keep making, painting, sewing or doing what you love. Hardships in life are unavoidable but your own personal happiness is always in your control. I still struggle to this day but now have an outlet creatively and a community of friends /colleagues.
I wish I had better photos of these, lighting sucks at night! I made all of our tunics and the hood that I’m wearing. Matthew 3d-printed and painted our masks.
This is hands down my favorite costume from the last few years. It’s not 100% done and with a few adjustments this is definitely going into my cosplay rotation.
