Blade Among Us – The Daywalker
For the past few months Costume and Play has had the privilege of watching an iconic blade character grow into a full personification of blade himself. When the Daywalker dresses into his costume he transcends into a full extension of the character, his conversations whirling into reality. He is not a Cosplayer. He is a Cosbeing. The convention his playground.
The Daywalker begins by describing the aesthetic and visual qualities attached to himself, as a trained martial artist he already possesses the physical attributes and facial features to present a true character. As a cosbeing however, he takes this one step further – refusing to drink Pepsi to savour the nuances of the character. Anything the character does not do, The Daywalker does not do.
The Daywalker values the ability to seem as though he’s walked directly off the screen and onto the convention floor.
He began his transition by noticing a gap in the market for a specific ‘blade’ character, he then found a dream develop. The Cosplay Community itself can often carry individuals known for a particular character, so sourcing a ‘gap in the market’ makes you instantly stand out from the crowd more than simply Cosplaying. The dream is to become the next blade and draw the attention of Marvel, thus the Daywalker also focuses heavily on publicity and the type of content he puts out; turning himself into both character and brand.
It seems an entire world away from ‘dressing up for fun to express a character’ but both are linked heavily. The Daywalker enjoys seeing his fans interact with a real life character and has a lot of respect for each individual he interacts with. The Daywalker’s character expression is heavily intense down to character responses to questions from attendees and fans. The difference with The Daywalkers choice of costuming is a focus to a targeted goal and outcome, presenting a nice balance between an interactive character brand and an approachable Cosplayer.
This certainly bridges the gap between actors, Cosplayers and ‘look-a-likes’ although it’s impossible to sum the daywalker up as any of these things. He’s found a unique niche which is always received with an immense amount of praise from the community. He has created an entirely new genre, channelling a character with a much higher purpose behind the act.
On the Daywalkers first showing, he was instantly met by flashing lights and responded by showing those lights a photogenic presence. Here the real character transfers from off screen, back onto the screen through his movements.
His action shots tell more of the story of the character itself, something the Daywalker prides himself on.
“The Daywalker doesn’t kill vampires, he kills bad vampires with bad intent, it’s often a misconception of the character.”
He then goes on to describe the attention to detail within his photo shoots and why the movement is so important.
“When you perform an action you see tension in the shoulders and chest, this is noticeable in an image.”
If the Daywalker is stagnant he is not communicating the dynamic nature of the character to the audience. He growls, snarls and yet describes himself as more approachable than blade himself to help his publicity. This not only draws himself onward to his goal but brings cosplay directly into the limelight as actors, look-a-like’s and mascots can instantly relate to the daywalkers ultimate mission.
When not in character the daywalker possesses a logical mind, which shows with his focused and directional pathway in the cosplay community that he is perusing. The daywalker is proof that Cosplay can lead to more than just ‘dressing up’ but can be used to give attendees a real experience with a screen character and set the wheels in motion for the cosplayer to pursue a professional career.
Unlike cosplayer’s who change character – once the daywalker hangs up his sword and jacket that will be the end, until that time the daywalker will continue to explore the world of con’s with a fascinating and unique freedom of expression. The attention he receives is cherished as each fan who enjoys experiencing the real character is one fan closer to marvel enjoying the same thing.
Credits: –
The Daywalker – https://www.facebook.com/thedaywalker/timeline
Sagittarius (Photography)
Video – The Watcher’s Lounge – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGH9X3D-yz5BMzmtxodsdXw