uMdloti resident shares cosplay journey

THERE’S no doubt that uMdloti resident Jarid Norman left his mark on Comic Con Africa in 2019 when he placed third in the Masters’ Division for his Predator Yautja cosplay he created from scratch.

Although Norman won’t be attending this year’s four-day festival, taking place at the Johannesburg Expo Centre from September 22 to 25, he spoke to Northglen News about his cosplay journey and the inspiration behind his iconic creation.

The props-and-character designer and fabricator said he used a number of techniques to meticulously put the outfit of the extraterrestrial species featured in the Predator science fiction franchise.

From liquid latex to 3D printing, freehand sculpting, freehand airbrush painting, fibreglass, casting and moulding, he has done the crafting all by himself.

“Dressing up for Halloween was always a family favourite, and I loved making my own costumes from a very young age. I then started making costumes for stage and films, then I caught wind of Comic Cons and cosplay, and that was me hooked. My Predator cosplay was influenced by my childhood obsession with the character. I had all the toys, models and movies.

“All I wanted to be was the Predator itself, and let’s just say, it never changed! I just developed the ability to actually make it happen. The reaction to my Predator cosplay was just so overwhelming. I had the most amazing experience. There were waves and waves of people trying to get in close for photographs. I had no idea what a stir it would cause. It was both an eye-opener and one of the best experiences of my life as a costume designer,” he said.

While he won’t be attending this year, Norman said he is already aiming to make an appearance at the 2023 event.

“I’m looking to be there next year. For me, the best part of Comic Con Africa is definitely the people. I don’t cosplay for publicity or business. I don’t even need to enter any competitions as the real rewards are the lit-up faces of my cosplay characters’ fans, as well as the kids and how excited they get.

“I’ve been to two Comic Cons where I had my face covered for three days as Bane, Deadpool and Starlord (with his helmet on), and only fed off the happiness of my characters’ fans just for the positive energy of the crowds. No one even knew who I was. And that was great because I don’t go there to be me,” he said.

He added that the growth of the cosplay community has been amazing to witness.

“I feel the community has grown into a full-on culture over the years. As Comic Cons and geek culture are becoming more normalised, I find that almost everyone is getting on board – growing more creative minds and unlocking new ones in almost everyone.”