Spartan Scroll

by Anna Minasyan

photo taken by Kia Harlan

With the limited Halloween costume choices available in stores, some turn to their own needle and thread to complete their festive attire.

For senior Nathan Flores, handcrafting his own costumes started two years ago when he discovered that stores did not offer the detail that he wanted in some of his transformations. Flores finds inspiration in things that interest him everyday, such as comic books or video games.

“There were no finished costumes that I could buy, so it’s more of a matter of ‘I had to,’” said Flores. “There are people that choose to go buy another costume instead of making it, but for the past two years, I chose not to do that.”

Making his own costume requires skills that Flores had to learn along the way. It began with O.D.S.T., which is a character from the video game “Halo,” and this year, he decided to personify Red Hood from the DC Comics.

“I have mainly been working with foam, so essentially, I had to learn how to form it to fit different designs and how to learn to paint the foam to make it more weathered and realistic, as if it had been through a battle,” said Flores.

Determined to stay committed to the quality of his creations, Flores looked to resources such as 3-D printing for aspects such as Red Hood’s helmet. Although he did not print it himself, he employed his painting skills to achieve the accurate image.

“I wanted it be an exact replica of [Red Hood’s] rebirth helmet and it was also designed to fit my head with some extra space if needed,” explained Flores.

Although his annual project is just a hobby, Flores sees that he manages his time to get it done before the big day, sometimes starting months before. With the amount of time and money that he has invested in his latest project, he considers it his favorite creation so far.

“This years’ Red Hood costume is not done yet, but it has taken the most time and money so far, so I think it will come out really good,” said Flores. “My parents told me to go for it, but they are slightly shocked by the amount of money that goes in to it. However, since it’s my money I’m spending, they don’t discourage it.”

To students that might want to dress up for Halloween but are too afraid, Flores gave some sound advice: “Maybe you are afraid of someone judging you for dressing up. If they are people you don’t know, then who cares? If your friends laugh or make fun of you for it, then you probably should not be their friends. However, if you want to dress up and if it is something that you really want to do, then you should just go for it.”

Seeing that what he wanted was not being offered, Flores did not give up the chance to join in on the spirit and found a hobby that encourages new skills and creativity.