We first met Captain Patch-It back in 2014, the first of an intrepid group of brave souls dedicated to helping cosplayers fix their costume malfunctions on the go. Since then he’s become a familiar face (or at least a familiar moustache and pair of aviators) to cosplayers around the country — and now he’s back with a new look.
Image by Brett Woolgar Photography
Captain Patch-It is a man on a mission — a mission to help any cosplayer whose cosplay starts falling apart at a convention, any cosplayer in need of bobby pins, sewing needles and thread, costume touch-ups or glue of any sort. While originally a lone cosplay ranger, conventions like Oz Comic-Con have started to make use of his talents (and generous spirit) to help set up cosplay repair stations on the con floor.
Captain Patch-It’s first look was fairly simple — a commando-style outfit with plenty of pockets for supplies and tools, with a leather helmet, dark blue shirt and those distinctive aviators.
Captain Patch-It in 2014. Photo by Flags
Last year he branched out a little with a steampunk extravaganza of leather and those distinctive steampunk tan-y brown colours:
Captain Patch-It in 2015. Images by Snap Happy Ian, Some Random Photography and Brett Woolgar Photography
This year he’s revamping his style again with his most flamboyant look — still Captain Patch-It, but this time a pirate captain. “The pirate theme was mainly born from the want/need to have this year’s outfit include a sweet hat and a holster for a teacup!” Patch-It explained the motivation for his new outfit. “From there, I tried building on the stereotypical pirate image and did what I could to mix in certain elements.”
Image by Brett Woolgar Photography
There’s also a bunch of little crafty secrets on the costume — for instance, each of the feathers is a sharpie, and the large jacket cuffs are used to hide “all my sewing needles, pins, some scissors, measuring tape and a few other tailoring-related goodies!”
It was put together with the help of a whole lot of different crafstpeople, including Clockwork Butterfly, Bronson’s Armory and Kongas Kreations. “Each of the commissioners I had helping me out with the various elements were pretty amazing!” Patch-It said. “They were all pretty accommodating with my crazy requests, such as requiring a holster for scissors or usb power banks, getting the right balance between functionality and aesthetics.”
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And the reason for the teacup? “I found that once I started getting more established at conventions, I’d be assigned actual repair spaces, and with that came the chance to actually eat/drink – so I figured I could be just that little bit classier and have tea from a proper cup!”
The costume will be getting its official debut tomorrow at Melbourne Supanova, and Patch-It will continue doing the rounds later this year with Oz-Comic Con’s extensive Cosplay Central area.
Comments
6 responses to “Aussie Cosplay Hero Captain Patch-It Is Back With A New Persona”
Sure, why not?
A true hero.
What a man!
Captain Patch-it has inspired several other people to do something similar. It’s a great idea and super helpful.
He was a great and welcome presence at PAX Aus.
Sweet!