The Walking Dead - Negan

[Reclaimara]

Yay, doing another costume! This time not related to any games but to a TV series - The Walking Dead.
I'm really in love how Jeffrey Dean Morgan is portraying Negan.

So... Recently I was asked to be one of the judges on a cosplay contest on a con in my town and the event will take place in November. Sure, I could wear my Palmer costume, but I really don't want to... The con is taking place in an older school, I don't want to run the stairs up to the second floor and down the whole day in the costume. NOPE. I did it last year and I don't want to repeat that.
I also didn't really want to just go in private clothes.
And now I was just slapped in the face with the idea I can actually do a genderbent Negan!
I'll have much time for it and it seems easy - it's just all about clothes. I'll do some make-up and blood on the face and clothes, make them also used and bit dirty here and there.

(all lies - this is the result when I'm too long away from home with nothing to craft or play )

Generally I'm not a fan of genderbent costumes, mostly because those male characters are often just sexualized (like, ugh, for example female Master Chiefs with boob armor, mostly skin, belly, boobs and more naked... the only thing that points that it's Master Chief is the number 117, color and few more or less accurate parts and I'm like... rly? ._.) - with nothing of the character's original characteristics remain.
I dislike it myself and it's just my opinion - if people like it, fine, I don't care.

Ugh... Soo... Apparently I'm doing a Negan cosplay now. ._..

Obviously it's gonna be a genderbent Negan as I'm a woman, but I want to make it as close as I can to the Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Negan in appearance. Also, I want to make it badass and dangerous, close to what Jeffrey-Morgan wears, also unlike most of the female Negan cosplays look like - overly sexualized.

As I already said, gonna stay as close to the Negan in TWD as I can. Plus Lucille obviously, but sorry it won't be a Louisville Slugger, these are impossible to get in Europe and I'm not rich.
Some blood on clothes and face and on Lucille... Will try to do something fitting with hair, something biker-ish maybe, we'll see.


Negan in TWD just for reference:

So far I've found this leather jacket that looks damn close to the screen used. So gotta fight for it.

Also, found also these shoes which also look damn accurate. Make them bit more used and dirty and they'll be perfect.

Plus Lucille obviously, but sorry it won't be a Louisville Slugger, these are impossible to get in Europe and I'm not rich and trying to keep the cosplays on budget.

I've found this 29 inch baseball bat from ABBEY brand. Looks pretty close, just 3 inches shorter which is no problem for me as I'm shorter than Negan. I still could get 31 inches long (Lucille in 32" long)

I could always get the McFarlane one for like over 50$ - which is plastic replica or I cen get that wooden baseball bat and customize it myself.

Lucille is thirsty, so obviously there will be some blood on her along with barb wire imitation

 

[Reclaimara]

Nice! I've won the auctions and bought the jacket and boots! I'm so happy!

I have to say I'm very happy because I kinda scored with them... Each was under 20$! :O

Just amazing... as I said, I try to keep my cosplays on budget, I won't spend few hundred dollars on boots or jacket alone.
These may not be perfectly screen-accurate, sure. I'm aware of that. But, these look close enough and good enough for me.


I should have done a better job earlier, so here it is - comparison between the jacket on screen and the one I found. I'll do slight modifications but everything looks damn spot on.
I've sailed through internet waters and all jackets had many different zippers in different places and directions and then finally I saw this one and immediately - THIS ONE!

And then the shoes. Didn't have to search that long as I did with the jacket, but also here for me these look very close to what they used on screen.
Few minor details are different of course, these are not the exact same shoes, but again - close enough for me.

 

[macktruck]

Congrats on being chosen to be a judge. I've recently talked to a few "professional" cosplayers who regularly use mobile costumes at least on the first day of comic cons when they're traveling. It's totally normal. Are you intending to alter the clothes any?

 

[BlazedStarbon]

I\m so excited to see the end result of this.

 

[Reclaimara]

Initially I planned to order online a baseball bat, but seeing how different they are - some have a drilled hole (wtf) which I can't accept... I found a shop near me, so tomorrow I'll drive there... and maybe, with some luck I may get a Louisville Slugger after all... ._.

Ordered a dark red cloth for the neck, which I'll get next week as well.

Thinking about the pants now, and these are the ones I'm think I'll go with. Unless I'll find better.

Those are the most accurate pants people recommend (below), so I think those pants I found are pretty similar and accurate.

Also, bought these gloves. I was searching for references but it is impossible to tell exactly what glove Negan has. The best shot of the glove was from the threeA figure, so I just was looking for a nice glove I like and found this one. On some shots and the figure he looks like his glove has those 3 stripes, so I went with it.

macktruck It's a tradition on that convention that the last year's winner is asked to be one of the judges. I couldn't say no!
And yeah, most people have multiple costumes, right? I have already one planned - Kait from Gears of War 4, but it'll be for next year maybe or even later.
Also I totally understand why people want to have different costumes and often take multiple costumes for each con.
As for clothes, I will alter them more or less, make them dirtier, weathered and worn out - like on screen. Don't have the things yet, so I'll look at them after they arrive and then I'll be able to tell what exactly I'll have to do.

BlazedStarbon Wow! TBH I didn't think anyone here would be interested in this build! :O

 

[macktruck]

Congrats on winning. I'm still working on my first costume. I never really finish anything . Gears of War armor is so cool. There isn't much recognizable armor in games since Halo seams to have done literally every type of design. If you're looking for an opinion about which pance, I would suggest the lighter pance. You could always make it darker with dirt and such, but it isn't as easy to do the other way of making pance lighter. I'm guessing you didn't get half prince for the gloves since you only need one. Personally, I'm not a fan of common costumes like Harley, Negan, Deadpool orOverwatch, but fully endorse everyone doing what makes them happy.

 

[Reclaimara]

macktruck Thanks! And good luck with your costume, happy crafting... you will get there, just take your time and you'll finish it one day.

Not really, Halo sure has many armors, but they have certain style. Gears of War has a very different style and it is recognizable in its own way. Same as other games and more. But I guess it's more visible after you play it. ;D

And thanks! Actually the lighter pants are the ones I'm thinking of buying. The darker pants are the most screen-accurate pants people recommend to buy. Just shown the image to see how similar the pants are in color and in shape.

I can understand. People like different things. I like some some cosplays - a very accurate Deadpool Reynolds is a beautiful costume. Not a fan of Harleys or Overwatch either.
I like seeing what other people do, but personally until now I never really considered doing a lighter and more casual cosplay as I love Halo and those super power armors, like the Spartan armor MJOLNIR, or the ODST or Marines. So cool! But, after wearing the Spartan armor the whole time I see that it isn't always best. Like, for this event, it isn't the best choice... so in this case it would be nice to have something more casual and more comfortable.
^ this is how I got an idea to make Kait from Gears of War 4. Her costume will be more casual as well. Mostly clothes with a big and bulky chest armor and a huge-ass rifle. Other than the chest armor it'll be a lighter and more comfortable casual costume too. Plus I like GOW, especially the GOW4... and I saw there are barely few cosplayers so I want to show my support to the franchise. Same as I do with Halo.

But well... with time you get ideas. I won't be surprised if, after you finish your first costume, you'll start another costume.

 

[Reclaimara]

Boi, excuse my excitement. Negan slowly coming together.

So far here are all the things I've acquired.
Boots are perfect but I'll have to make them more worn out. They stand way too straight, hehe.
Leather jacket is great, but unfortunately I have to visit a tailor - it's bit too wide on my shoulders and I'll ask them to remove the elastic on the back.
The red scarf is great too.
As for the baseball bat - it's a Rawlings one, the oval thingy is quite similar to the Slugger... but it's the literally only bat I could find is hole. All others have drilled out end cap... Anyway, went with the 32" one, so the exact length just like Lucille on-screen.
Can't wait to get back home and start working on those things. Lucille will get biggest treatment - remove the glossy varnish, change the color of the bat to darker wood, make the con-friendly barbed wire...

 

[macktruck]

Lucile looks thirsty.

 

[SilverRosemary]

Before I saw the bat, I was going to suggest making one out of EVA foam, a golf club core, and plastic dip. Then it would be contact safe and you can make it look exactly like his bat.

 

[Dirtdives2424]

So CP, are you going w/ the "Drag" look or female Negan. If you do the drag look, there are hair sprays that will color your hair that you can wash out later...A lot of hair jell and tuck it in to the scarf...so would you prefer a makeup beard or go w/o? It would be funny to picture you w/ a beard.....