Charizard Cosplay: Part 1 - Wings

Its almost that time again... Convention time! T-minus 70 days until Salt Lake City Comic Con :) The Alpha Geek and I decided to cosplay as Red from the Pokemon games and Charizard - Gijinka style. I almost did the Pokemon X Mega Evolution, but I opted to go traditional so I could be a little more recognizable. I'm not saying every cosplay has to be obvious, but that was my feeling at the time. After looking at some pictures and taking stock of how much work I wanted to put into this, I drew up a quick design on my tablet:

I figured the wings would be the most difficult/most time consuming so I decided to start there. I got some 12 gauge wire wrapped around itself at least 2 thick to make the frame for the wings. I used regular masking tape to cover the pointy edges while I worked:

After I still managed to slice my thumb I opted to cover the whole frame with tape which also served to make it a little more sturdy:

I know, it still looks pitiful, that's where that 1/2 inch foam the frame is laying on comes in! I cut strips of foam and sandwiched the wire frame between them using E600 glue. I put a heavy dictionary on top while it dried to ensure a good seal. Then, I used scissors to round off the edges and get the shape I wanted:

I've been using a pencil on the wrong side of the fabric to figure out the shape of the bottom of the wing and I hope to get it cut out tonight. If you look at the Charizard reference pics above you can see that the long edge of the wing isn't a smooth line so I am going to bend the wire a bit before I cut to get it right. 

Also, I should note that the 12 gauge wire is not going to be sturdy enough to support the wings with the wire and fabric so I got a few metal rods that I am going to bend to make the frame that connects the wings to my back and the rods will go up the top "arm" part of the wing to support the whole structure. I debated using PVC, but it was too heavy and bulky. I wanted something with a little give so it is easier to walk through crowds at the con. I can collapse these wings down and if someone bumps me the wires can bend so they don't get whacked with a solid PVC pipe. In the future I am considering doing a Gargoyles cosplay and the sheer size of those wings will require something more sturdy like PVC, but the wire and rods should work to support these smaller wings. 

*** Part 2 coming soon! Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions. Thanks! ***