The storm had already claimed the lives of at least two people in China's Hainan and 16 people in the Philippines
"What actually got me into cosplaying was hearing about Baltimore Batman," says Aeron. "He was this American charity worker, who used to wear a Batman costume and visit sick kids in hospitals. When I first heard about it, I thought it was a really cool initiative - something we should start here. And then I met a friend who felt the same. That's how we got associated with Dubai Superheroes."
Dubai Superheroes is an initiative that was started by Ammar Shraim, a UAE-based cosplayer known for showcasing an intricate homemade Batman costume at MEFCC last year. His initiative saw him and his band of cosplayers dress up as superheroes to visit kids in hospitals, orphanages and special needs centres. Aeron, being a part of the group, would usually dress up as Spiderman.
"Every kid is a superhero," says Aeron. "We're just trying to inspire them by bringing out that side of their personalities."
You might think that he has a special affinity for superheroes, but Aeron's tastes are a bit more niche. In the past, he's dressed up as as Deadpool and Nightwing, among several others. In other words.
"They're antiheroes," explains Aeron. "They aren't boy scouts. Being Superman is great, but not everyone wants to be that character all time. You want to be someone who has his or her own defects."
Which is possibly why Aeron chose to showcase his Nightwing costume to us. "Nightwing is, basically Robin who has moved away from being Batman's vigilante partner. He's a bit like Deadpool... but more family-friendly."
"As a kid, I loved watching horror movies," the American confesses. "They never scared me. I just thought it was so cool to see a monster on TV and know that someone was actually getting paid to create that. I always thought it was the coolest job. In 2007, I met a guy who was working as a special effects artist in Hollywood, and learnt more about it - and it just took off from there. It was a hobby that turned into a passion."
With UAE's cosplay scene growing exponentially over the last few years, Sugie has found himself doing makeup for shows and haunted house attractions over the last few years. Halloween usually sees him doing makeup for as many as 10 to 15 people. Creating special effects begins with him making a mould out of plaster and then filling it with liquid latex that dries. It's how he created the forehead for his Vampire look (seen here).
"I'm a huge fan of vampires. That's the great thing about cosplaying: you get to choose the characters you love. I love everything about Dracula, the original vampire, and one of my all-time favourite movies is The Lost Boys. But yes, I like my vampires to be villains. I don't want them sparkly or romantic."
"It was the community that first got me interested," she admits. "Seeing the pictures people put on Facebook and so on. In fact, it was through the cosplay community that I met my fiancé!"
It started out as freelance work, but in 2015, Sumi decided to set up Sumi Cosplay as a small business. Today, she dresses up for events and stage entertainment and has become something of a celebrity within the local community. She has a particular love for princess gowns and has cosplayed everything from Snow White to Anastasia.
"I love Disney characters. They have such an elegance about them," she says, explaining that it's pretty easy to dress up as one. However, Maleficent, which is an audience favourite, may look good but the costume - all handmade by her, of course - is heavier than you'd think. "It took me around two weeks to make but I was particular - I
wanted it to look just like the character." Well, it looks like she's certainly succeeded.
(You can find Sumi on Facebook at @SumiCosplayer or on Instagram @SumiCosplay).
Syed Shujat: 'People should know who you are in one glance'
"This Alien costume I've made isn't just great for MEFCC," he says. "It's also great for Halloween. I created it using cardboard, plaster, pipes, plastic bottles and foam sheets and must have spent about a month perfecting it."
The hard work shows. In the past, Syed has dressed up as a Spartan from 300, Hawkman from the DC Comics. and Predator! "I love playing movie characters because they're far more famous," he explains. "The reaction from the audience is also important. People should know who you are at one glance."
Since he's played both characters, who does he prefer embodying: Alien or Predator? "I think Predator," Syed laughs. "He's the stronger character and is as close to a good guy as it gets between the two of them."
janice@khaleejtimes.com
The storm had already claimed the lives of at least two people in China's Hainan and 16 people in the Philippines
Dubai Police have asked drivers to be extra cautious
The former all-rounder has returned to cricket during the past year after a horrific car crash at the end of 2022
Dubai Police have asked drivers to be extra cautious
The country has set a new Guinness World Record by creating the largest falcon hood, beating the previous record of 1.65 metres
Hamas' health ministry said that 94,616 people have been wounded since the conflict began on October 7
In most Islamic countries, including the Gulf countries, the Prophet's birthday is observed on 12 Rabi’ Al-Awwal 1444
Traffic will be diverted to the opposite side during this period