Debuted: Kumoricon 2013 in Vancouver, WA.

Continuing my tradition of cosplaying the great but underrepresented side-characters of Final Fantasy, I chose Baku from Final Fantasy IX for my 2013 cosplay.

The cosplay gave me many opportunities to expand my skill set. I had never made animal ears before, an aspect of Baku's wardrobe that I am particularly happy with. I also refined my expanding foam-prop technique with his sword, a prop as sturdy as it is cartoonishly unwieldy.

The sword is a pvc pipe covered in expanding foam, covered in paper mache, covered in Rosco foamcoat, finished off with a thin layer of modpodge. The hilt is a wedge of styrofoam sculpted into shape and covered in foamcoat, also finished with modpodge.

The hat I bought and added the ears to. The goggles I bought and painted. The pig nose I bought. The shorts and shirt were pieces modified by my wife, and the vest she made from scratch. The wrist and bicep straps were scrap leather I cut and pounded snaps into. There were leg straps that I couldn't get to stay on. Something to be worked on for the future.

The beard...well, that's my beard. Sprayed pink with B-Wild hair spray.

I love this cosplay. Tied with Barret for my favorite thus far.