Fizzarolli (Helluva Boss) NYCC 2024

In addition to being a costume designer for theatre, I am also an avid cosplayer. Cosplay is actually what ignited my passion for costume design in the first place. Thus, it is only natural that my portfolio should include some of my favorite cosplay projects to show off my range of skills. At the NYCC Cosplay Showcase in 2024 my Fizzarolli cosplay won a Judge’s Choice award, inspiring me to keep doing what I love. 

I got attached to the character after watching the Helluva Boss episode titled “Mammon’s Magnificent Musical Mid-Season Special.” There’s just something about a backstage panic attack that speaks to me, y’know? Anyway, I played with a few different design concepts as I started planning how I was going to make this cartoonish clown come to life. Turning a ridiculously proportioned two-dimensional character design into something that makes sense on a human body is perhaps my favorite kind of challenge. 

I started with the headdress. After a bit of research, I landed on a 15th century horned escoffion draped with a silk/cotton voile. I found Rowantree Workshop to be an excellent resource for this type of project. The “horns” are made of HYMO and wire covered in polyester satin and velvet. I pieced together the veil to make sure the stripes would hang the way I wanted them to, mimicking the asymmetrical pattern of Fizz’s own headdress. I trimmed it with black venice lace and some organza-wrapped baubles to weigh down the corners. I was quite pleased with how the headdress turned out. It is much more comfortable than the wigs I normally shove my head into for cosplays.

For the rest of the design I wanted to pull from a variety of different eras, placing Fizz in the weird, anachronistic limbo that is Hell. As a base layer, I made a long smock out of pale blue cotton voile. I cartridge-pleated the sleeves at the shoulder and wrist to give them as much volume as possible. 

I refer to the body of the design as the kirtle, based on some 14th styles I’ve encountered in my research. However, the design lines and hem are far from historically accurate so I use the term quite loosely. Originally, I wanted all of the seams to be laced up such that each panel is completely removable. I ended up only doing that for the side seams since I didn’t want to add any distracting bulk to the front of the bodice. The polyester satin was gorgeous and a perfect color match for the character and I wanted to showcase that without too many bells and whistles (apart from the literal bells and whistles). 

The sleeves are entirely removable, lacing onto the shoulders of the kirtle. I used my trusty pattern from The Tudor Tailor to make the puffed sleeves with interior boning to support the shape. Panes of purple faille and taffeta (I ran out of faille and had to improvise by lining every other pane with the closest color match I could find) make up the “stripes” of the sleeves. The voluminous voile sleeves can be pulled through the gaps between the panes to complete the effect. I used a similar technique to mimic Fizz’s pants. However, I didn’t have time to make the poofy trousers I had originally intended so I settled on layering a linen skirt I already had under the length of the pale blue smock. The long panes of purple faille and taffeta flow freely from where they are gathered at the waist under the kirtle. It was not exactly the silhouette that I had in mind but I was happy with the overall effect, especially when I spun around.

The ruff was one of the elements that I was most excited to make. I had been wanting to make a cool Tudor era ruff for years but never had the opportunity. I had this gorgeous iridescent silk organza left over from my Sailor Mercury cosplay that pleated beautifully while retaining its volume. I handstitched each pleat onto a linen base and finished the outside edge with contrasting purple thread. I would have liked to add some more subtle details and trims but alas, I was out of time and no amount of con crunching could change that. 

At the risk of falling into a long, sappy rant about my passion for the craft, I will write that I learned a lot over the course of creating this cosplay. Looking back almost a year later, I see so many sloppy little mistakes like the tension on the front seams and the ugly serged hem of the smock. However, I will always treasure this project. It was my first time being recognized for my work in a competition and the joy that fills my heart when I think about that never fails to inspire me. I had a vision and I did my darndest to see it through. While the validation of winning something for my efforts is wonderful, Fizz’s story keeps me grounded. If I am going to put my blood, sweat, and tears into something, it better be something that truly makes me happy. If I find myself panicking to be perfect for someone who doesn’t care about my wellbeing, well, I’ve got two words and a couple of middle fingers to shove in their face. 

The last thing I’ll say is that I am not finished with Fizzarolli. I will one day return and finish all of the things I didn’t execute as well as I would have liked. I intend to keep honing my skills at such a rate that I will always cringe a little at last year’s work, but with every cringe I smile a little bit because I know I enjoyed every moment of the creation process. I hope you have enjoyed this little rant about one of my favorite cosplays I’ve had the pleasure of making.