Cosplaying High Tech and High Fantasy Characters (Game On Expo)
Recorded live at Game On Expo, this panel features Alexis (Crooked Feather), Rebecca, and Becca as we dive into the creative and technical challenges of cosplaying high tech and high fantasy characters. From foam armor to mechanical wings and 3D-printed props, they share practical tips, materials, and hacks for bringing ambitious designs to life whether you're a beginner or a seasoned builder.
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Transcription:
Mike: Alright—welcome everyone to Cosplaying High Tech and High Fantasy. I’m Mike, host of Creatives Prevail. I also started streaming about eight months ago. I’ll let our panel introduce themselves. Rebecca, would you start?
Rebecca: I’m Rebecca Williams. I focus on 3D printing for cosplay.
Becca: I’m Rebecca McCullough—your foam-smith for the afternoon. I’m also the resident hair and makeup artist and wig stylist for Arizona Theatre Company.
Alexis: I’m Alexis Noriega, owner of The Crooked Feather. I build animatronic props—mostly wings.
Mike: To kick us off: when you’re designing a high-tech or high-fantasy costume, what’s a good starting point—from the vision to making it real? Alexis?
Alexis: Don’t try to tackle everything at once. Start with what you’re already comfortable with—foam or sewing, for example. Build that piece, then move to the next. If there’s one part you’re really excited about—like a specific prop—start there. I’m obsessed with Wolfwood’s transforming cross from the new Trigun. I don’t need it to fire a whale-splitting laser beam, but I want the ker-chunk and the turn. The costume’s simple; the prop is the challenge. If I nail the prop, I’ll be excited to finish the rest.
Rebecca: I pick the character, find a pattern, start printing, and then build the rest around it.
Becca: I start with what I already have—whatever’s in my closet: foam, fabric, random bits. For this look, I had foam on hand, so I made the horns first and bought fabric later.
Alexis: Also: look online. You can buy patterns, and sometimes they’re free—Printables, Thingiverse, etc. If there’s a part that’s too difficult, someone may have designed it already. No need to reinvent the wheel.
Mike: When you all first got into cosplay, did you learn mostly from online tutorials?
Rebecca: Yes—especially for armor builds. I still use tutorials as I refine pieces.
Becca: I started around 2005–2006. Resources were scarce, so I figured things out by buying components and improvising. I wanted Ariel’s “Kiss the Girl” look, realized I needed a wig…and ended up going to cosmetology school. One thing led to another.
Alexis: My first cosplay was in 2002—a closet cosplay. If you’re new, pick something approachable. Cosplay isn’t about making every single thing yourself unless you’re competing. Buy what you need, then learn to make the pieces you want. I make wings for a living now because I followed an online wing tutorial for fun, then kept iterating—better and better—until they moved. Skills transfer, too: sewing helps with foam because both turn flat materials into 3D shapes on a body. Foam work can lead to paper patterns, CAD, and 3D printing. Start anywhere; it all stacks.
Mike: Let’s talk functionality. You want amazing visuals, but you’re wearing this all day. How do you balance durability, mobility, and screen-accuracy?
Becca: (laughs) Don’t sacrifice all comfort. There’s always some trade-off, but materials matter. These horns are hollow—super light. Magnets are the heaviest part.
Alexis: The 10-foot rule helps: it just needs to look convincing from 10 feet away—especially for photos. If you can’t wear a corset because of back issues, you can fake the look with stretch or softer materials. Decide what discomfort you’ll tolerate. My halo needs rigid wire to sit high, so it’s less comfy, but I accept that for the silhouette.
Becca: Knowing materials reduces weight. We used to heat-form plastic bins for visors. Now we’ve got EVA foam, Worbla, Sintra, foam clay, and 3D printing. You can hollow parts to make them feather-light.
Rebecca: Print material choice changes everything. PETG can handle a hot car better than PLA, but regular PETG can be heavier than lightweight variants. On my chest piece, I reinforced the back with fiberglassed resin, then heat-formed the front to my body with a heat gun so it sits comfortably.
Alexis: Arizona heat note: don’t leave foam armor in a car—it can lose its shape. Plan transport and storage with heat in mind.
Becca: Pattern sources help, too. I used Kamui/Kay (KA Cosplay) patterns for this helmet, then resized for a smaller head. Foam clay is my MVP—it dries hard and light, sands well, carves well, fills seams (just thin it with water). Great for organic details.
Alexis: Even with laser cutters doing the rough work, finishing and paint take days. That’s why I recommend building piece-by-piece over time instead of “con-crunching.” Details deserve breathing room.
Mike: For 3D printing specifically, how long do pieces take? Do you split them up?
Rebecca: This helmet took about two days. It’s sliced into multiple parts so people with small printers can still make it. I printed my chest piece as one on the same machine. Breaking things into sections is common—and printer-safe. Also think ahead: PETG for heat resilience vs. PLA for ease of printing.
Mike: Let’s talk learning the hard way. Share a time something went wrong and how you fixed it.
Rebecca: I bought a big, beautiful printer and assumed it could print PETG. It couldn’t—PLA only. I burned the hot end and had multiple failed prints. The manufacturer sent a replacement, but lesson learned: know your machine. I’ve even lost a full build plate of small prints to a power-loss hiccup.
Becca: I once got sewn into a dress in the security line. Security almost confiscated my needle. I’ve also learned spiraled “leaf” panels can shrink in all directions when you take them in—I started at knee length and ended up above the hips. We overnighted a replacement.
Alexis: My first animatronic wings worked all day—until judging. A pin slipped on the Arduino side, and one wing stopped opening. Then a transport pin fell out, so a wing flopped around backstage. We still took second place, but it was chaos. Another time, a Worbla armor bra exploded right before stage lineup. A squad of Sailor Moon cosplayers literally drilled new lace holes, someone handed me a shirt, and they strapped me back in. Community saves are real. Also, “haste makes waste.” The closer I get to sunrise, the more I seam-rip.
Mike: That community piece is huge—cosplayers will rescue you, and cons often have repair stations.
Alexis: Yep—there’s a cosplay repair room next door. Use it!
Mike: Alexis, you brought some gadgets—what’s an easy way to add LEDs without coding?
Alexis: Use off-the-shelf LED strips with phone-controlled receivers (the little dongles with QR-coded apps). Pair those with a power brick and you’re done—color changes, patterns, flame effects—no Arduino required. For motors, a simple DC motor and relay can spin things without programming. There are lots of “cheat paths” into high-tech looks.
Mike: What about wings or extra limbs without electronics—ways to make them feel alive?
Alexis: Build an armature so movement is guided, not floppy. For wings, many people use false arms and control the wings with their real arms. For extra arms, add pivots to mimic anatomy. Make it poseable by tightening joints with washers/gaskets so it holds a photo pose. Pulley/strap systems can work too—just be mindful of snags and line routing.
Mike: This is a question for all of you. I’m sure this has never happened before—starting a build and something goes wrong. Can you share an example of when things didn’t go right, and how you fixed it?
Rebecca: Absolutely. I bought this big, beautiful printer, thinking it could print PETG. Turns out it only supported PLA. I ended up burning out the hot end—the whole head unit. I contacted the company, and they sent a replacement, but lesson learned: know what your printer can and can’t do. I had several failed prints before figuring it out. And honestly, don’t be afraid of failure—it will happen.
Alexis: That’s the truth of 3D printing in general. Even if you’re using the right material, sometimes the print bed shifts or something glitches and half your build is ruined. You just learn to expect it.
Rebecca: Oh yeah. I once had 14 ducks printing on a single plate, and the printer glitched. I lost all of them. Brutal.
Becca: (laughs) I know that pain. I’ve had last-minute disasters too. One time I was literally sewn into my dress while waiting in the security line at a con. Security almost confiscated my sewing needle! Another time, I tried tailoring a spiral-pattern dress. I thought, “I’ll just take it in.” By the end, the hem went from knee-length to above the hips. We had to overnight order a replacement.
Alexis: (laughs) Everything really is a learning experience. I once made my first set of animatronic wings for a competition. They worked all day—until judging. A pin slipped on the Arduino side, so one wing stopped opening. Then a transport pin fell out, so another wing flopped around backstage. Total disaster. Still managed second place! But right before stage lineup, a Worbla armor bra literally popped apart. A group of Sailor Moon cosplayers ran in with a multitool, drilled new lace holes, and strapped me back together. I was seconds from crying, but on stage, people thought my angry face was part of the character!
Mike: That’s such a great story—and a reminder that cosplay is such a supportive community. People will rescue you, and many cons even have cosplay repair stations.
Alexis: Yep—like here, there’s literally a repair room right next door.
Mike: Alexis, you brought some gadgets with you. Can you show us an easy way to add LEDs without coding?
Alexis: Sure! These are basic LED strips with little receivers that connect to your phone via a QR code app. Pair them with a power brick, and you’re set. You can change colors, add patterns, even fake flame effects—no Arduino required. For motors, a simple DC motor and relay can get things spinning without programming. There are lots of cheat paths into high-tech cosplay.
Mike: And for those who don’t want electronics—what about making wings or extra limbs feel “alive” without wiring?
Alexis: Armatures are the answer. Instead of floppy wings or arms, use pivots to mimic natural anatomy. You can also tighten joints with washers or gaskets so they hold a photo pose. Straps or pulley systems can add motion too, but keep line routing clean so it doesn’t snag.
Mike: Love that. Okay, let’s open it up to audience Q&A.
Becca: Personally, I don’t usually reuse costume pieces across builds. They’re too different. I went from Mighty Thor to Rogue to Captain Marvel—completely different wardrobes.
Rebecca: For me, yes. I reuse parts. My armor kits often share the same base uniform, so I only swap out breastplates and helmets.
Alexis: Same. With something this complex, I’ll wear it to multiple cons. It’s not “one and done.” And accessories? Absolutely reuse. Pants, belts, jewelry—you don’t need to remake basics every time. Think of it like a cosplay “Mr. Potato Head.”
Becca: Exactly! This corset has gone with a dozen costumes. Accessories like belts and pouches get recycled constantly.
Mike: Smart. Any other questions?
Rebecca: For finishing 3D prints, you’ll see people sanding forever. But here’s a trick: mix UV resin with cornstarch into a putty. It fills lines quickly, then sands smooth. Huge time-saver.
Alexis: Just be careful—self-leveling resins can wipe out fine details. Use them wisely.
Mike: Interesting! What about voice and audio inside helmets?
Rebecca: I use a voice changer with a speaker hidden under the breastplate. It’s seamless.
Becca: My partner has a mic Velcroed inside their Mandalorian helmet, with the speaker hidden in a belt pack. Bonus: they’re hard of hearing, so they run an old phone with an audio-boosting app that sends amplified sound to earbuds under the helmet. Instant accessibility.
Mike: That’s brilliant. Okay—final fun questions. If money and time were no object, what would you build?
Rebecca: Full armor kits. I have the printers; just need the filament and time.
Becca: Leather armor for my Vox Machina character—and wings! Also Thena from Eternals, with her glowing weapons. Haven’t figured that one out yet, but I will.
Alexis: Mother Miranda’s final form—stilts, tattered wings, latex body, bark effects. It’s a huge dream build, but someday.
Mike: Love it. And what games are you playing right now?
Becca: Overwatch—until I get too mad and log off. And a weekly in-person D&D game.
Rebecca: I don’t play D&D, but I print miniatures for it!
Alexis: Stardew Valley mostly, but I’m about to dive into Repo with friends.
Mike: Alright, last one—your one piece of advice for cosplayers?
Rebecca: Don’t fear failure. Imperfections can add character.
Becca: Never give up, never surrender! If it frustrates you, set it aside, reset, or ask a friend. Don’t let stubbornness ruin your fun.
Alexis: Embrace failure—it’s the best teacher. I’ve learned more from mistakes than successes. Every error teaches you how to salvage, adapt, and improve.
Rebecca: And by the way, Alexis did the wings for Miss Ukraine at Miss Universe—look them up, they’re gorgeous.
Becca: They were incredible.
Alexis: (laughs) Thanks, guys. If anyone wants resources, I have a Patreon at The Crooked Feather, plus my website. Feel free to reach out.
Mike: Fantastic. Thank you Alexis, Rebecca, and Becca. And thank you all for joining us today!