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4 Halloween costume ideas from the UAE's cosplayers

Wondering what to wear on October 31st? Take inspiration from the best!

As October 31 approaches, it's time to look forward to events, parties and loads of candy. It's also time to start putting thought and effort into your costume. Because no matter how old you are, or which event you go to, you're bound to find people dressed in their creative best. It doesn't have to be just spooky either: whether you're a fan of horror movies, superheroes, creepy crawlies, fairytale creatures or anime, there's a perfect costume for everyone. Need further inspiration? The UAE's cosplayers know the ins and outs of getting into character. and they are here to help!
Aeron Costaa:'Every Kid is a Superhero'

At 22, Aeron Costaa is undoubtedly one of the newer and younger members of the UAE's thriving cosplay community. But one look at his different avatars and you'll realise that he's wasted no time catching up. The student has dressed up as a number of characters in the past and even won the Geekend event two years in a row, while also bagging third place in this year's edition of Middle East Film and Comic Con (MEFCC) in the comic book category. All his costumes and props are handmade and take anywhere between four days to a week to make.
"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."
Sugie Reaves: 'As a kid, I loved watching horror movies'
 
When Sugie Reaves isn't amazing people with his life-like special effects, he works full-time in Abu Dhabi, teaching aviation engineering. It's a career that has nothing in common with his passion, so, one has to ask, how did he get involved in the colourful world of cosplay?
"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."
Sumi Cosplay: "I love Disney characters - they have such an elegance about them"

Sumi Cosplay is a name anyone in the community will know - and probably very well. With a keen interest in acting, theatre and filmmaking, Sophia Jawad, who goes by the name Sumi Cosplay, started performing when she came to Dubai in 2007 - and there has been no looking back since. Over the last few years, the Iraqi national has performed in a few Middle East TV series as well as short Emirati films and students' films. She has been a cosplay judge at PopCon in Dubai last year, while also participating in Ani:Me's World Cosplay Summit in Abu Dhabi.
"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'

IT specialist Syed Shujat participated in the cosplay competition during the very first MEFCC in 2011 - and was a runner up. Since then, he's been participating - and winning - at cosplay contests across the Middle East. The 32-year-old, who hails from India, has donned many costumes over the years, and the sheer detailing of these costumes is bound to impress. Everything is made by him, using household materials that are usually recycled, and are painstakingly realistic.
"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