ValCosplay Unmasked: CCM Interview
- Creative Cosplays Magazine
- Oct 20
- 9 min read
Updated: Oct 21
Every cosplayer’s journey begins somewhere — sometimes with a favorite character, sometimes with a community, and sometimes with a spark that grows into a passion for both. For Nathan, better known online as ValCosplay, that journey has taken him from LARP and conventions to screen-accurate builds, charity events, and fostering community in the Australian cosplay scene. With a love for DC, video games, anime, and Star Wars, Nathan has steadily built a reputation as a dedicated cosplayer who combines creativity, accuracy, and heart.
In this exclusive CCM Interview, we’re getting to know Nathan’s story — how cosplay became part of his life, the moments that have stayed with him, and the values he carries into every costume he creates.
Nathan, it’s great to have you here! Can you start by telling us a bit about yourself and how you first got into cosplay?
Great to be here, thanks for having me! My first foray into cosplay started as the first lockdowns were announced in Sydney, during the COVID Pandemic. I had just discovered some trends on TikTok at the time and figured, “Hey, why not give it a shot!”
What was the very first official cosplay or costume you ever put together, and how did it come about?
My first cosplay was an Imperial Officer from Star Wars. I had discovered a Star Wars OC tag on TikTok during the pandemic and figured I wanted to give it a shot!
I grabbed some old clothes that I had laying around and went to a nearby 2nd hand store for the rest!
How did you learn your way around building costumes — was it something you picked up on your own, or did you have some other creative outlet before cosplay?
Prior to cosplay, I had been attending a nearby fantasy-based LARP (Live Action Role Play) called Scy’kadia. You made a character, your costume and went from there!
I’ve worn everything from metal armor to reversible capes. Fortunately, there’s a lot of crossover between the LARP and Cosplay community due to the creative nature of it. There isn’t much difference finding a cool rock for a dwarf, versus finding one for a Jurassic Park prop!
Two examples come to mind, one of my more memorable characters had a brand-new costume entirely made by my close friends at the Tea Dragons Hoard (@tea_dragons_hoard) and they’ve started to kick up their cosplay presence. Another close friend of mine, Luka (@lu_kaos), recently won Best in Show at SupaNova Gold Coast. There’s so much talent!
Do you remember the first time you went to a convention? What was that experience like for you?
My first convention was a Rooster Teeth convention, RTX Sydney 2017. I was mainly there to spend time with my friends and buy some cool merch, I didn’t think much about cosplaying at the time.
It wasn’t until a friend dragged me to SupaNova Gold Coast 2021 that I had decided to try and cosplay properly. It was weird, at first, I was used to cosplaying at home or for charity, but I was on my own this time! Honestly, it was a blast either way.
A lot of people find their niche in certain fandoms — what franchises or characters do you find yourself drawn to the most?
I love Star Wars and DC. I grew up watching The Clone Wars on Cartoon Network and then playing Arkham City, Arkham Origins and Arkham Knight after school. I loved watching these characters grow over time, and hey, who doesn’t like cool armor?
Have you ever been part of a cosplay group or organization? What was that experience like?
I am a current member of the 501st Legion, which is a worldwide Star Wars costuming organization comprised of and operated by Star Wars Fans. The 501st does a lot of charity work that ranges from hospital visits for sick kids to your usual convention!
Coming together to collaborate and share our love of the franchise is awesome! And if we can make someone’s day whilst doing so? Even better.
You’ve been involved in events and charity appearances as a cosplayer — what does it feel like to use cosplay to make someone’s day a little brighter?
Honestly, It feels great! I’ve been fortunate enough to attend a few charity events such as the Special Children Christmas Party, Brisbane, for 2023 & 2024 and Dream night at Taronga Zoo, Sydney. Both of these events were intended to provide children with disabilities or illnesses, a low-sensory, but fun day out.
I like to help people where I can, so I really love that I can get these opportunities to make someone’s day just by dressing up as their one of their favorite characters!
When you’re putting a costume together, how important is screen accuracy to you compared to comfort and wearability?
You need to consider a few things; Are you creating the costume for show or fun? How often will you use it? Can you survive an entire day at con in the costume? What about if it rains or there’s a heatwave?
I value screen accuracy myself, but I have to stop sometimes and reconsider a project if I know it’ll cause me grief in the long run. No-one wants to be the Darth Vader getting hosed down by the medics because you overheated on a 40⁰c day.
Do you enjoy collaborating with other cosplayers on builds, projects, or content? What do those team-ups usually look like?
I love it! I’ve been pushing for more content collaboration recently, so I’ve been reaching out to my friends and fellow cosplayers to see if they’re interested!
To give an example, I recently collaborated with my friend, @punkcreations, a well-known Brisbane based cosplayer with around 25k followers on Instagram. I helped shoot some footage and photos for him and he’s done the same for me! It’s simple stuff like that that gives us an opportunity to hang out as friends but helps us with a reason to create content.
Community is a big part of cosplay for many people. What does the cosplay community mean to you, and how has it shaped your experience so far?
It means a lot. I wouldn’t have met my wonderful partner without it and I wouldn’t have met all my amazing friends. It shaped me as a person and helped me to become better, both in my professional and normal life.
If you could instantly have any dream cosplay built and ready to wear, which character would you choose?
Oh boy, that’s a hard one. There are so many characters that I want to do, but if I had to pin it down to one? I’d have to choose a blue, grey & gold Batman. Realistic, but with those original colors.
What’s the longest amount of time you’ve ever worn a costume at one event?
I wore a 21 Jump St cosplay from 7am until 2am the next day. I had to attend early to assist with a booth, so I had gotten dressed early and got out the door to make sure I got there on time. I then wore it throughout the day, then went through a storm and finally out to post-convention drinks with some friends!
Talk about weathering a costume…
Outside of your main fandoms, is there a character you’ve always wanted to cosplay but haven’t tackled yet?
My partner and a lot of my friends are heavy into Genshin Impact. I’ve tried to get into it but I struggle, I can’t deny that there’s some cool characters in it though!
There’s a character that I’ve been eyeing down for a while called Capitano that I feel like I’d LOVE doing. Time will tell, I suppose!
If you could guest or attend any convention anywhere in the world, which one would be at the top of your list?
That’s a hard pick, our biggest conventions in Australia are tiny in comparison to the ones you have over there! I can’t choose one, but I’d love to attend New York Comic Con or San Diego Comic Con one day!
What’s one of the most unexpected or funny things that’s happened to you while you were in cosplay at an event?
I recently attended SMASH in Sydney, one of Australia’s biggest anime conventions. I was cosplaying Maes Hughes from Full Metal Alchemist and had gotten boots specifically for it, problem was, the boots had cleats designed for the outdoors.
Whilst lining up to collect our badge, I had fallen behind my friends and tried to speed up to catch them. I misjudged my footing and then proceeded to do a very dramatic, leg up, fall onto the ground. Security and some nearby cosplayers came over to check on me, despite some initial pain and frustration over stacking it, I had a good laugh about it after!
Cosplay often comes with trial and error. Can you tell us about a time something didn’t go as planned, and how you worked through it?
I had just put on my night wing cosplay on the morning of a convention. I’d worn it before and was happy with my test fit, but for some reason, I thought it looked bad, and my brain kicked into overdrive and started overthinking things.
I decided to ask my partner and friends what they thought and if they had any advice. They helped me realize what I felt bad about specifically and how we could change it. More eyes are better than none!
Beyond just the costumes, do you find yourself drawn to the storytelling side of cosplay? How do you like to bring characters to life beyond the look itself?
Weathering, paint, props and small details! For example, you can tell the difference between a character that has seen combat and one who’s fresh from the cloning pod. Small nicks in armor, frayed edges on clothes, deliberate rips and tears to give the idea that it’s been slashed at.
How would that character realistically acquire that? Maybe he got attacked during a raid, cape caught on a branch? All these little details can be used to create a story and enhance your cosplays.
What do you think sets the Australian cosplay scene apart from others you’ve experienced or seen online?
Apart from the heat? The Australian cosplay scene is resilient and the sense of comradery is awesome. Despite still recovering from the major hit to events and tourism that came with COVID, the community is as awesome as ever and we’re only growing bigger every year.
Con cancelled? No wukkas. There’s a popup happening the week after to help the artists! Too hot out? No stress, here’s 5 people offering you water. We all know we’re here to have fun, and we don’t care if we don’t know the other person. We’ll help out! That’s what I love about the community
If you could collaborate on a big cosplay project with any creator or group, who would it be and what kind of cosplay would you want to create together?
Oh boy, that’d be a tough one. If I had my dream pick, I’d love to collaborate with some more Australian creators! SoylentCosplay, Slightlyvillanous, Misstwisted, Vyecos or even Henchandscrap all come to mind.
Outside of my fellow Aussies, my absolute dream pick would be Maul cosplay, I love his Naked Snake and Geralt of Rivia. I’d love to cosplay Raiden from MGS2 and have him do Solid Snake.
We love giving our readers something special — is there a project, cosplay idea, or upcoming event that you haven’t shared anywhere else yet that you’d be willing to reveal here as a CCM Exclusive?
Do you enjoy democracy? Do you love freedom? Well, so do I! I’m doing my part and joining the Helldivers on the Australian Front as a SEAF Trooper! Sure, it’s not flashy, but every good Helldiver needs a supportive grunt to help them out!
Keep your eyes out on my socials though, as if all goes well, I will be helping to create Australia’s first cosplay organization dedicated to the Helldivers Community.
Nathan, thank you so much for sharing your story with us. Before we wrap up, do you have any final thoughts or advice you’d like to share with other cosplayers or anyone thinking about getting started? And where can readers find and follow your work online?
Be nice, do good and remember, we’re all just silly little people dressing up in our funny costumes! Don’t be afraid to give cosplay a shot, the community is awesome and it’s a solid chance to make a bunch of friends!
Thank you so much for this opportunity, if you’d like to find and follow my work, you can find me on Instagram (@valcosplay) or on TikTok (@valdoescosplay)
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