Cosplay Closet Essentials: Rock Light
He’s the man behind the masks: Rock Light, Phoenix-area cosplayer, is the master of masked cosplays. From Grendel to Red Hood to Ghost Rider and more, Rock maintains an aura of mystery while still remaining approachable (and ladies, he’s single!) 😉
To start off, I’d like to ask what got you interested in costuming and cosplay. How/when did you get your start?
“Well, for myself, I was really interested a few years ago. From what I remembered, I wanted to wear outfits that could and would grab peoples’ attention. I don’t know if I did any before my motorcycle accident though, the memory is a bit messed up from that event. Though afterwards I decided to follow through and make some cosplays. I was given a lot of encouragement from friends, especially Matt Hinds, to keep giving my all. It’s very interesting because this year at Phoenix Comicon was my very big debut.”
Your Ghost Rider is impressive. How did you go about making the costume and getting it together?
“Thank you for noticing that. It was really interesting. My brother gave me his motorcycle jacket and told me I could have it since he wasn’t going to ride for a while and told me I could do anything with it. I thought about how I wanted to assemble the Ghost Rider gear. So I went ahead and got a pair of gloves then found some bracers that matched. I was able to find a pair of motorcycle boots that would work perfectly as well. I have a pair of pants and figured it would fit with everything else. I ended up ordering a large amount of spikes so I could put them on the bracers, jacket, and boots. As for the mask, I wanted to make something myself, but because of my job constrictions, I wasn’t able to and had to look online for a mask that would work. Took me about a week and constant looking to finally find one that matched what I was looking for. Oh yeah, I went to Home Depot for the chain lol”
That’s still a lot of work! Those spikes must have taken a while. Do you have any plans to alter the cosplay now that it’s had its first run?
“The spikes did take some time and they left some of my fingers tender from all the force needed to screw them in. Made eating with a fork fun for a few days lol. Still, alterations is a big one I’ve been thinking about. I want to modify the mask to have flame effects coming out of it and I want to have the eyes light up a bright orange I’ve been going over the plans with a few people on what I can do about that. All my cosplays I wore this year are getting upgrades, that’s for sure.”
That’s great! It’s always exciting to see a cosplay evolve. What other cosplays have you done?
“Well my other two are Grendel Hunter Rose and Red Hood.”
You mentioned a motorcycle accident. Do you feel that has hindered your cosplaying in any way?
“It hasn’t hindered me. I ended up with a broken hand and memory loss, but it hasn’t restricted me one bit. If anything the accident has given me a chance to break the chains that once held me back. I lost a lot of memories, but in the process this has allowed me to push forward and go for things I once wouldn’t think twice of doing. And I get to look good with a mask or helmet on lol. As a masked cosplayer, I always notice I pique peoples interest. It has its moments.”
Do you have any plans for unmasked cosplays?
“No never. I plan on being masked. It’s a part of me and for many reasons. Cosplay and personal.”
Do you ever regret the masks and motorcycle jackets in those blazing hot Phoenix-area cons?
“You know, I wore that outfit on that Friday when it was 107 and for five hours might I add, and the next day I was Red Hood with all that gear on, minus the prop guns, (because security doesn’t know how to do their job lol) and I didn’t regret it for one minute. As drained and tired as I ended up, I had the time of my life.”
And that’s what cosplay is all about! So as a cosplayer, what do you think are the three most essential items to any cosplayer’s closet or workspace?
“Plenty of room that’s for sure lol. With what I’ve been working on I’m starting to run out of room and need to figure out where to store everything. Eva foam is a must; it’s just so workable with being creative. And in my own opinion, something to remind you of what gives you your drive when it feels like the chips are down. I know it’ll differ from person to person, but to me that’s what counts.”
*Since the interview was conducted in November, Rock has continued to add to his cosplay closet by debuting some new cosplays at Phoenix Comicon Fan Fest in early December.
**Ghost Rider photo credit to the late Grant Brummet. Grendel photo credit to Anne Osborne.**