Hellboy Cosplay

VISA 1500 – Assignment 2, Part A

October 15th, 2021

Aaron Lemoine – T00568514

This picture shows a man representing the fictional character “Hellboy” through cosplay. This costume is overall, constructed heavily with many masculine attributes we can acknowledge with many other male fictional superhero characters. As for physical attributes of this figure, we can notice the amped up facial features like Hellboy’s large jaw, the hardcore facial hair structuring, his broad shoulders, and chiseled chest and abdominal muscles. But what would drive someone to dress up as this satanic, non-stop action machine of a hero? Well to start with the cosplayer as well as Hellboys constructed masculine features including his large muscular physique, the ultimate large scale weaponry he carries, as well as Hellboy’s easily triggered aggression and madness, with his mastery of super strength and hand to hand combat. Hellboy represents a true definition of hypermasculinity, and although this figure looks nearly on point with all of Hellboy’s looks, this costume does look like it is homemade. And this man is attending some sort of forum, or possibly a costume convention.

What’s easily identifiable of the person under the red paint? Comparing his height to everyone else in this picture, it seems like this man is pretty big to begin with, his open trench coat displays his grated abdominal muscles and ripped pectoral muscles that just may be the only thing real about this person under the costume. Cosplay of a superhero character like Hellboy would be extremely difficult. And when it comes to the idea of representing a hypermasculine figure like Hellboy, it’s most important to create a costume that sets out true intent and gives viewers a “bang on” expectation of this character, as well as preoccupying visuals like weapons and overall behavior in order to act out this superhero. Does this enhance the person’s identity? It very well could. Not many can manage to pull off Hellboy’s distinguishing looks, but for this man, he’s pulled off this cosplay in a way in which he looks identical to the action hero himself. “When cosplaying, fans of popular culture (e.g., television series, games, movies) produce their own costumes inspired by fictional characters. Fan costumes involve four elements: a narrative, a set of clothing, a play or performance before spectators, and a subject or player. Each of these can be used as a starting point for an analysis of cosplay.”(Lamerichs) A male may decide to represent himself as Hellboy because this character is one of the closest to the best of the best when it comes to displaying a fictional character who shows many masculine traits that are as simple as the cigar in Hellboy’s mouth, his “big and strong” physique, or as his violent, non-stop fighting tendencies. His abnormally large frame, sporting his large and wide trench coat, with his broadening leather pants, and optimum of “man becoming the weapon” depicts the utmost and defined constructed masculine in film.    

“Whatever the original and real motivations were, it remains to this day a defining and unavoidable feature of its creation and proves a constant source of pleasure and frustration. Costuming within this genre is not simply visual disguise; it is also the context in which the dressed body appears. Creators use modes of dress to signal how they wish a character to read in a particular moment” (Reynolds 1992).

Resources;

Lamerichs, Nicolle. 2011. “Stranger than Fiction: Fan Identity in Cosplay.” Transformative Works and Cultures, no. 7. https://doi.org/10.3983/twc.2011.0246.

Reynolds, Richard. 1992. Superheroes: A Modern Mythology. London: B. T. Batsford.

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