Your Guide to Buying HeroClix-Inspired Costumes

Dressing up as beloved characters for Halloween is a time-honored tradition among comic book fans and gamers. In more recent years, costume-wearing has become more common on other occasions as well, particularly conventions. Cosplay, a Japanese term for dressing up as a character, has become a major part of most conventions, and it's a competitive sport for some people.

Whether someone's looking for a Halloween costume or planning a cosplay for an upcoming convention, HeroClix is a great source to look for inspiration.

Getting Inspiration
Since 2002, HeroClix has produced hundreds of miniatures based on comic book and video game characters. Browsing HeroClix collections can generate some great costume ideas, especially rare figures that portray characters in vintage or alternate costumes from those normally seen in contemporary comics.

When buying or creating a HeroClix-inspired costume, a cosplayer might want to take things a step further by incorporating actual HeroClix elements into the costume rather than simply dressing as the character represented by the miniature. This might involve simulating the iconic rotating dial base of the miniature or incorporating props similar to those found on the game miniature. Drawing ideas from the color scheme or design of game board maps can also add more flavor to a costume.

Finding HeroClix Costumes
Premade HeroClix costumes may be difficult to find, but it's possible to find a number of costumes of comic book characters and modify or customize the costume to suit the needs of the wearer.

Superhero costumes for adults are easy to find when the characters are related to motion pictures. Characters like Spider-Man, Superman, Captain America, and Batman have a plentiful supply of premade costumes that can be modified to closely resemble their HeroClix counterparts.

Choosing a Vendor
Costumes are available from large-scale commercial sellers as well as from individuals who make their own costumes and sell these one-of-a-kind creations. Large-scale commercial costumes are plentiful and easy to find in all sizes, but they are not as unique as a handcrafted costume. People who want the look and quality of hand-crafted costumes but do not have the talent to sew one might be interested in buying one from a vendor who routinely makes them.


Handmade Costumes
For people looking to dress up as a more obscure character from the HeroClix game, a handmade or partially handmade costume is a great choice. Building a costume from scratch allows the wearer ultimate creative control in how it looks and fits, and the wearer isn't limited to available character choices.

There are several options for creating a one-of-a-kind costume:

• Building it from the ground up by using fabric and sewing every article of clothing.
• Taking existing items of clothing and modifying them to resemble the appropriate costume elements.
• Taking an existing costume and modifying it to resemble the desired effect.

Depending on the wearer's level of sewing skill and the amount of time he or she wants to invest in creating the costume, all of these options can be good choices.

Locating Materials
When creating a costume, finding appropriate materials and tools is important. There are several things a person might need in order to create a costume:

• Fabric: Superheroes are well-known for skin-tight materials like spandex or leather, but other fabrics might be easier to work with and more affordable for the home costume maker
• Thread, sewing needles, buttons, sequins, and other small details
• Props or materials to create props, such as polymer clay
• A sewing machine

Having the HeroClix figurine that the costume is based on available throughout the costume creation process will help as well when it comes to getting details right. The HeroClix figure can serve as a reminder of what colors and designs should be included in the costume as well as inspiration for accessories to differentiate the HeroClix costume from other superhero costumes.