Durban resident impresses at Comic Con Africa with Pokémon cosplay
The local resident showed off three of his incredible cosplay creations at the Comic Con Africa.
FOR the last few years, Justin Walter has been turning heads at various conventions, cosplay competitions and especially at Comic Con Africa events.
This year was no different as he returned to the Johannesburg Expo Centre with three of his incredible cosplay creations that he created in painstakingly accurate detail.
The 38-year-old uses ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) foam, which helps form the body of many of his characters. He used EVA this year to debut his Korg cosplay, brought back his Arthas Menethil (from Warcraft) which he showcased in 2019, and also debuted his impressive Pokémon cosplay.
Walter, dressed as one of the main protagonists of the Pokémon universe, Brock, also created two rock/ground Pokémons, Geodude and Onix.
In fact, so impressed were the judges of the Nintendo Cosplay Competition that Walter won first prize which came with a R5 000 Nintendo voucher.
“That was pretty awesome, to be honest, and something I didn’t expect. Compared to my usual creations, this cosplay took the least amount of time to recreate. I used an old beach ball to form Geodude, and I used lanterns and a box with paper-mâché to create Onix. I classified this as a casual cosplay, but the reception to it was overwhelmingly positive. In order to enter the competition, you had to dress as a Nintendo character, so I was up against a number of Marios and Luigis,” he said.
“To get Brock’s look down, I had to get the wardrobe right, and I even got a backpack which I fitted with plastic tubes to mount Onix on. To counterweight his body, which towers over me, I used a brick in the backpack. While this looked uncomfortable, with the even distribution of weight, I was able to move around the convention centre with relative ease. I always feel that to get cosplay creations correct in the Pokémon universe, proportion and the eyes have to be accurate,” he said.
This was Walter’s third Comic Con Africa, and he already plans to return next year to once again compete in the Masters’ Division of the cosplay competition.
For those hoping to see more of his creations, Walter will be fine-tuning his Korg cosplay to New Asgardian standards for the rAge Expo in December.
