X-23: @VIANKA_COSPLAY

COSPLAY ZINE PROJECT

THE COSPLAY: During Halloween a few years back, I wanted to make a quick Wolverine costume for the night since he’s one of my favorite Marvel characters. I also figured I could put my leather jacket to good use. After a few minutes of doing some research online, I found out that Wolverine has a female clone. Ever since then, X-23 has always been in the back of my mind.

As someone of small stature, I found it incredibly easy to choose X-23 as a cosplay because we almost have the same physical characteristics. Her personality also reminds me of myself— quiet and mysterious but also vulnerable. Sometimes when I wear the cowl and suit, it feels like I’m in her skin.

I chose to do the X-Force version for X-23 suit because I wanted to experiment with using foam as an armor. This cosplay was the first time I’ve ever created foam armor and I was super ecstatic on how it turned out. The helmet was bought from Villainous Prop Shop’s Etsy and I was truly proud of how polished it came out after sanding the helmet down for hours. The other accessories were bought from stores such as eBay and Amazon. All the hours and money that were put into this costume is truly worth it. I feel so much in character every time I put the suit on.

BIO: My brother dragged me to my first Fanime back in 2015 and I was blown away by the details and the amount of work that people put into their costumes. Ever since then, I decided that I was going to cosplay every time I would go to a con. It’s been about 4 years now of cosplaying and I love every minute I spend creating props and costumes and being in a cosplay. Becoming a character you love is something truly magical.

COSPLAY BY VIANKA
PHOTOGRAPHY AND DESIGN BY BRIAN NISHIMOTO