SPARK
as a material for costume creation. Although the
Borg costume was what had initially put cosplaying
regularly, especially competitively, on the map for
Holt, he had been making costumes since childhood.
SMALL BEGINNINGS
Growing up in southern Utah, his parents divorced
when he was nine years old. His father subsequently
moved to California, got remarried to a seamstress,
and together Holt’s father and his wife created
costumes for local school productions and events,
such as plays and cheerleading. Holt mentions that
he’d never had much interest in material costuming,
until one year while spending summer with his father
at the age of 14, he decided to ask his father for help
making an elaborate Halloween costume. They
worked together to create the costume, effectively
igniting an enthusiastic passion for cosplaying that set
Holt on a fast track that eventually became the
cosplaying business he now owns and operates
LEARNING THE TRADE
That first costume he and his father made together
was ‘a reverse man’, as Holt recalls. ‘Reverse Man’
was such a huge hit at Halloween that year; each year
after he strove to make more elaborate costumes out
of any materials he could get his hands on, which at
the time consisted of leather, plastic, and fabric. He
joined his school’s theatre group and participated
every year to increase his ability as a maker. As he
grew older and received more and more positive
feedback for his makes, he began dreaming of
moving to California permanently to make costumes
all the time. However, in 1979, after meeting his wife
of 40 years now, Joyce, he was set on a whole new,
wonderfully different trajectory when they married
and settled in Cassville, Missouri.
Left
Warning: this shield
will not protect you
Below
Two Wonder Woman
breast plates ready
for cosplay
Left
One of Bruce Holt’s
early costumes
