October 20, 2025 • 55 mins
Mendte sits down with Delaware County’s very own Batman — yes, the Delco Batman — to talk all things cosplay. From building the perfect suit to embodying the Dark Knight at conventions and charity events, this conversation dives into what it really takes to bring Gotham’s protector to life in the real world. Whether you’re a seasoned cosplayer or just a fan of the Bat, this one’s worth watching.
If you dig interviews like this, make sure to hit subscribe and check out That Comic Podcast wherever you get your podcasts — because who knows which hero (or villain) Mendte’s talking to next.
Check out Delco Batman on Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/delcobatman?igsh=YjhuY2gxdzMxNDcz
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/that-comic-podcast--5896499/support.
If you dig interviews like this, make sure to hit subscribe and check out That Comic Podcast wherever you get your podcasts — because who knows which hero (or villain) Mendte’s talking to next.
Check out Delco Batman on Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/delcobatman?igsh=YjhuY2gxdzMxNDcz
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/that-comic-podcast--5896499/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
That Comic Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Hello, and welcome back to that Comic podcast. And as
you can see, it's just me. But wow, do I
have a guest that I'd never thought i'd have. You
can tell by the cowl, you can tell by the years.
He might have a Delco accent. But my god, there's
no other Batman in my life. But Delco Batman, thank
you so much for joining me. My good sir. It's
been a while. We've talked about doing this, but you're
(00:30):
here in the cowl, which is the best part.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Yes, yes, thank you for having me appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Oh, I know it's so for anybody unaware, Delco Batman
and myself have been working pretty hand in hand for
a little bit over at Comic Universe, doing a lot
of their Instagram reels and a lot of their social
media content, which has been just been a blast. But
I also got a good insight on what it's like
to be Batman. And that's what I think is so
(00:56):
interesting about today's show, which is what is the day
in the life of Batman? So Delco Batman explain to me.
First off, how did we get into this world? Like,
what what brought us into costplaying to this degree, and
what is it about cosplaying that keeps you coming back?
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Especially to Batman?
Speaker 1 (01:17):
It all I guess it all started.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
Uh my, uh, my buddy has a uh he used
to have a Halloween party every year and uh he
used to have a whole nine yards costume contest, the.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Whole, the whole, you know, the whole thing.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
And then uh the first time I I costplayed as
Rambo and I had like the face grease and then
I had a prosthetic gash on my shoulder, grossing people out.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
I was like.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
Playing with it, you know, and it it was a hit.
And then next year I kept topping myself. I'm like,
I have to I have to to do something more
and with what you know. So then the one year
I'm like, I'm going to be I want to be Batman.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
I want to be like.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Don't we all?
Speaker 4 (02:01):
Yeah, of course, And like when the time came, it
was absolutely horrible.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
It was it.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
It didn't come out as like I had it imaged
in my head. And then once I brought it to life,
it was it wasn't that great. But we all start somewhere.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
But see that's the Batman in you. Because it wasn't
like let's just move on. Obviously this isn't for me.
Take a look behind him and you can see for
those who were watching instead of listening, and to those
who are listening, go to YouTube and check the actual
clip out. But this man has multiple variations of the
Batman costume. He's got multiple variations of the cow. I
like the fact that your story started with disappointment, but
that's just fueled you into becoming the best Batman you
(02:41):
could be.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, basically yeah. And then one thing led
to another. My my same friend, his daughter was turning
five and he's like, hey, do you feel like doing
a birthday party for you know, for my daughter. I'm
like absolutely. Then that thing turned that turned into just snowball.
Next thing, you know, I saw muscle suits and then
(03:05):
I bought one.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Then I bought you're telling me that's not you.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
No, Unfortunately.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
I've been cheated.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
But yeah, yeah, one one turned into two, two turned
into three and then uh and then over the years,
I slowly started to learn a lot more about cosplay.
I started to get into the making your own kind
of thing. I don't make the cows, I don't make
(03:36):
these suits, but I have uh dove into having people
three D print my armor and I put it together.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
I glue it, I do all the all the painting, and.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
It is pretty satisfying when you see it all come
to life.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Well, let's move back.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
I want to talk about your accolades in the second
but before we let's let's go.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Back into the origin a little bit.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Because I am intrigued on the idea of you getting
to see yourself in the cape and cowl for the
first time and yet being disappointed in the outcome. But
that that driving you further. So what was it about
that moment that made you go, all right, I'm gonna
step this up opposed to well I tried that, let's
pick something else.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
Well, I just like anything that I do. Uh, clearly,
I want everything to work out on the first try,
and it never works out on the first try.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Oh, we filmed together, I'm aware.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
Yeah, So I'm like, I'm not, I'm I refuse, I
refuse to accept this.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
I'm not, you know, so I learned I was.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
I was piecing so many different things together, Like I
had a Batman Returns cow with Arkham City chest piece,
and I'm looking at it. I'm like, you're you got
way too much different things going on here, and my
mind was like, I'm seeing Batman returns, I'm seeing Arkham.
It's like, you know what, why don't you start doing
(05:04):
your own vision? I like that way you have no
expectations like you. I mean, you have no like Michael
Keaton or Ben Affleck or you know, take them different aspects,
you know. And then and then once I kind of
figured that, then I'm like all right, I'm I'm good.
And then I designed my own bat one the emblem.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Oh yeah, oh that's awesome. Oh that's very cool.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Well that's and I always thought was unique when every
time we would we would do something at comic universes,
very very rarely did I see you in full get up,
and it was the same get up. Yeah, Like every
like we did the boxing video, it was a different suit.
When we did the You Attacking Mic, it was a
different suit. When yeah, you guys were buddies playing video games.
There's a little different Like every one of them, you
(05:46):
showed up in something unique, which is like I'm like, man,
this guy really earned the name Delco Batman. Just like
he throws a costume on, like no, he opens up
his wardrobe and goes, hmm, which is the costume today?
What would best fit what I'm trying to accomplish? And
that screams Batman first off? Right, but it's but Batman's
(06:07):
not the only character. No, So you also do Wolverine.
I do, And you've got multiple Wolverines as well. I
do Wolverine.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
Yes, as a matter of fact, it suits right here,
but I'm afraid to turn the camera.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
And that's fair. We'll do another interview as Wolverine. Yeah, right,
So what it was it just.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
An easy jump from Batman to Wolverine because of the
grisly voice or like what we want?
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (06:31):
Was that?
Speaker 1 (06:31):
It was really more more or less?
Speaker 4 (06:33):
I mean, my buddy so so besides that, a friend
of mine I didn't realize at the time, was caught
would cosplay as dead Pole and we we were talking,
as I do we should do, we should do comic cons.
But at that point I was Batman and then dead
Pool and Wolverine was on the verge of coming out.
(06:56):
I'm like, I think I might have to do a Wolverine.
So he got all excited and I started doing Wolverine.
But ultimately, for some reason, I just keep gravitating back
towards Batman. You know, when it comes to public appearances,
community day parades, it's just Batman is just as universally
(07:16):
loved by all ages.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Absolutely, that's an icon of a character.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
But yeah, I guess that asked the begs the question then,
growing up, were you just a big comic fan and
Batman was your guy?
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Or Batman was my guy? Yeah? I remember.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
I think it was like nineteen ninety seven, whenever Batman
Forever came out.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
And forever of all.
Speaker 4 (07:35):
Yeah, I know, I know, but yeah I got I
think my dad. My dad got me the just the
cheap Halloween costume with the cloth cow. And then we
went to I think it was Fencers in the Granite
run mall. Remember they had the big wall of masks
(07:57):
behind the counter. Yeah, so I saw a euro Thane
version of the Sonar cow, and I'm like, I want that.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
I gotta have it.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
I gotta have it.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
So even at that age, I'm like, this this thing,
what do we have here? Like this this this you
know costume from Spirit Halloween. You know, I'm like, all right,
if I do, if I replaced the cow, that'll look better,
you know.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
So I'm already at that so.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
How does this work? Then?
Speaker 2 (08:26):
So for anybody who's unaware, when I say Delco Batman,
I guess that doesn't make sense for the entire country.
So Delco Batman is Delaware County here in Pennsylvania. So
you are you being the Batman of Delco. What happens
when you meet like the Batman of Montgomery County or
the Batman of Philadelphia or the Batman of Idaho? Like,
is there an interconnected like trade man?
Speaker 1 (08:46):
We trade stories stories. Yeah, matter of fact, I bade
those up.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
I didn't know those were people were real.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
Oh yeah, well, I mean I don't know about Batman
and Delaware of Montgomery County, but I'm good friends with
uh uh Bradman cosplay. So he he does Batman in Columbus, Ohio, and.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
That's where I was. That's my Batman. Yeah, so I gave,
well you're my Batman now, yeah right, so.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
Uh but yeah, we talk regularly and yeah, yeah, I
know I know a few a few people.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
It's we just trade stories.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Well, is these is the like I know how the
common community has become very niche oriented, Like you'll find
a lot of people in like, say Batman chat rooms.
Is that Batman is that same with cosplay? Is it
like Batman Cosplay chat room or is it just like cosplay?
Speaker 4 (09:32):
There is Yeah, yeah, I mean there's plenty of Facebook
groups like Batman Facebook groups that I used to be
regular in. You just you know, you go on there
and you post your you know, you do a photo shoot.
You'd post like, hey, guys, check this out. I just
got this new cow from Hernandez. You know, blah blah blah,
and uh, you know, everyone it's a it was. It's
(09:55):
a very supportive community. Everyone is super nice. But but yeah,
I mean there's there's there's a I don't know, there's
a chat for everything now, like you know, Wolverine, Joker, Batman.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
I mean there's there's a little bit for everyone.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
But is there every Do you ever find like an
itch to do a new cosplayer or is it kind
of consistently Wolverine Batman because you tend to then get
another Batman suit or another Wolverine suit.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (10:27):
Do you ever want to branch out? Because I think
you could be a good punisher.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
I actually did punish her before. Yeah, yeah, I actually did. Yeah,
I uh.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
I could.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
I have the best? I got the best.
Speaker 4 (10:42):
I actually my my buddy hunts. So I asked him,
I said, can you get me a legit crushed bullet?
I wanted to do full authenticity here.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
So that's awesome. So he he.
Speaker 4 (10:58):
He uses, I don't know, there's blist jail to where
you shoot and you can actually recover the bullet.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
And he's like, here you go.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
So I grabbed it and then I and I infused
it in the in the vest and I threw some
some fake blood on there and yeah, all.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Right, so there's definitely a punish your video coming in
they soon at some point.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
Now that I know that's an option.
Speaker 6 (11:17):
Yes, actually, what are you doing Tuesday?
Speaker 3 (11:23):
Yeah, we'll talk about that later. But oh, so, so
how long all together have you been costplaying?
Speaker 1 (11:29):
Then? Maybe about like ten years?
Speaker 3 (11:31):
Ten years? Wow, that's amazing.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
So then recently Creative Cosplay magazine just featured you, and
you you had several pages in there dedicated to how
awesome your your Batman costume is.
Speaker 4 (11:42):
It was I think it was the top of maybe
like the bottom half of one page.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
I thought, I swore there was. There was at least
four or five photos. I googled all this you got here?
Speaker 4 (11:56):
So we share like the way they the way they
it looks like they did. This is the first time
I've I've done this with them. So basically, again the
cosplay community. I talked to all my other friends and uh,
you know you you go on there and you apply.
I see them at all the comic cons and the
last time I saw him was at Fan Expo Philly
(12:16):
and the guy's like, did you have you sent? Have
you submitted yet? I'm like no, but I would love to.
He's like, please send send us, send us some photos.
So I'm like, all right, so I did my thing.
But yeah, essentially I think I share the page with
a Red Hood Joker cosplay.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
Yeah, are you going to resubmit his Wolverine?
Speaker 5 (12:39):
Uh?
Speaker 3 (12:40):
Eventually, yes you should, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Now, so the whole kind of delco, we'll call it
the amalgam universe. But since there's DC and Marvel characters
among you all, actually there's Ghostbusters as well.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
You guys seem like a pretty tight knit group.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Is Is it just because of location or how does
how does the cosplay community work?
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Is it because like with comic shops, it's easy.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
You go to the comic book store and you see
other people who are in the Comics and Problem soulve
But it's not like you guys won't meet up at Michael's.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
No.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
No. I mean that's the one thing that that that
kind of sucks because it's like I talk to a
lot of people across the United States even even the world,
and and I I really want to meet all these people,
but unfortunately, you know, not too many of them are
around here. Like I said, I got I got two
friends of mine in Columbus, Ohio, and and I got
(13:32):
I got another friend in Vegas. And but but now
it's like once we found uh you know, like Delco, Spidey, Delco, Deadpool,
we just you know, kind of just congregated together, and
it's like, hey, let's hey, let's let's create a chat,
and let's just you know, keep throwing throwing different dates
out there, and it's like, hey, you guys want to
(13:53):
do this comic con, or hey you want to do
this community day. And you know, whoever shows up and
can make it great. If not, we all have lives.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
I bet you.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
It also probably creates this inadvertent competition. And I don't
mean you're actually competing, but what I mean is when
you all of sudden show up in a new suit
with muscles and armory, and everyone's like, well, damn, I
only have spandex. Everybody else has to now step up
because again, you look like you have a legitimate bat
closet behind you.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
I'm guessing that they all don't have the same thing.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
Yeah, yeah, I mean I don't know. Actually I can't
say that now.
Speaker 4 (14:29):
Not too many of the of my other fellow cos
players around here probably go as crazy as I do.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
I don't have.
Speaker 4 (14:37):
It's not crazy, it's dedication, well dedicated to this, so.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
I mean, to be fair, they don't like, it's not
like Spider Man's gonna come with that wall. It's just
going to be on a hangar or in a trunk,
so to.
Speaker 6 (14:51):
Be fair, yeah, but that it's it's cool to see.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
How Like, ever, since working with you at Comic Universe,
how many times it's been like, oh, well, let's call
Deadpool and it's like you're gonna what.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
Well, let's get Spidy on the phone.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Maybe Goth that America could show up, and I'm like,
what the hell is happening?
Speaker 3 (15:07):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:08):
The toughest thing is to try and get everyone's schedule
in sync because we again, we all have lives and
it's super tough, but when we do get together, it's
it's really special.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Well, and let's let's let's talk about the special part,
because one of the aspects of being Batman has to
be how the community sees you. So it's like, yes,
Batman is a cultural icon. Yes, you being Batman is
going together attention no matter where you go. But the
kind of attention that it brings is just it's it's
whimsical almost like the kids who see you must lose
(15:41):
their mind because you don't look like a guy in
a halloween costume. You're not wearing hockey pads.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
You know what I mean. Like you've obviously put a
lot of effort and you do.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
You are a very passing Batman, Like there's no question
when you see you, like, wow, that guy really went
out of us.
Speaker 3 (15:55):
Yeah that's Bruce. You know, So what is it?
Speaker 2 (15:58):
What's what's what's let's zoom out. What's the most rewarding
aspect of being Batman?
Speaker 4 (16:05):
The younger kids coming up to you and just just
straight hugging you. They don't even say hi, they just
run up and they just grip on. Yeah, that's that's
super cool. Yeah, And then just even even adults when
I go you know, when I go to a comic
con or I'm doing these events, they just like pass
you by and like, dude, that that's that. You know,
(16:28):
that's a great suit. It it it helps your confidence.
When I was a kid, I was I was shy.
I didn't talk to anyone. I had like my my
close group of friends and that was it. But then
once I started doing this kind of boost your confidence
a little bit makes you feel good, all right.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
So we talked about what was great, and I agree,
that's got to be a special moment. But what's probably
the worst part about being Batman? Like, if we did
the we did the best, what's the worst part of
a day of Batman?
Speaker 4 (16:55):
Okay, so the worst part is pretty easy, so you know,
you got So when it comes to birthday parties and
public appearances, mainly birthday parties.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
You have like the younger kids, the younger kids.
Speaker 4 (17:08):
That just run up to you and give you a
hug and they're like it's Batman, Oh my.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
Gosh, you know.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
And then and then there's like this like this you know,
age group where they get old enough to where they're like,
you're not the real Batman, where's your Batmobile?
Speaker 1 (17:25):
And I'm like, my batmobile is a matter of fact
right there.
Speaker 4 (17:28):
I you know, I got this bran, this beautiful bat
black camaro.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
And They're like all I see is a car And
I'm like, what do.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
You think the batmobile? What do you think mobile in Batman?
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Right right? I'm sorry it doesn't have black wings on it.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
Go watch the Batman and come back to me.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Right right.
Speaker 4 (17:45):
So, I mean you know that it's a small, small, little,
little tiny whatever you want to call it, negative in
a in a bigger you know, but it is what
it is.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
It comes to the territory.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
I get that, and I'm going to challenge you a
little bit. That is the worst part. And I'm I, look,
I don't play Batman. I've never dressed up as Batman,
but I'm still going to assume that more than an
hour in that suit has to be rough.
Speaker 3 (18:10):
That has to be like.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
Once you hit, once you hit fifty minutes. I feel
like heat stroke is a problem.
Speaker 4 (18:16):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it it definitely, and mainly the cow
because there's no escaping this, so I start leaking out
the back, start leaking out the front.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Oh, every video we've done there's usually a little drip
off the nose of the cow. It's always funny when
because there's always backlit too.
Speaker 4 (18:36):
Especially when when you're you're in front of kids and
the kids are like, why are you leaking?
Speaker 1 (18:42):
Well, I'm a human being, so you know, human being sweat,
so you know, I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
Well, I heard Ben Affleck was saying that he couldn't
do more than like thirty five forty minutes at a
time before he would get headaches and he would get
like he had to keep getting out of the costume
to cool off.
Speaker 4 (19:00):
I don't normally get headaches, honestly, Like my my, my
one shoulders starts to ache me after a certain point.
I can't explain that, but maybe it's just your your
everything is just so tight and you're you're kind of
almost stiff, I mean, for Pete's sake, Like I can't
really turn.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
My head in the yeah, exactly, exactly.
Speaker 4 (19:22):
Remember the one time we were doing the video and like,
can you turn your head?
Speaker 3 (19:25):
And I'm like, I could turn my shoulders.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
I could turn my shoulders.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (19:32):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
Well, then I guess there's probably one other if we're
going to add a list of three, so we'll say,
we'll say early teenagers who don't want to accept the
fact that you're Delco's batman. You'll say overheating in the suit.
And then the lack of zipper has to be rough.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
Yeah, basically, you got to make sure that you do
your business before you put in this put the suit.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
On, because it's got to be what how long does
it take you to put the whole get up on.
Speaker 4 (19:54):
We'll say like twenty minutes, half an hour to just
put it on, just to put it on.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Yeah wow.
Speaker 4 (20:00):
But see this is where the learning, the learning curve
like comes into place. So like, over the years, yeah, okay,
I have this big, one one piece suit. Well over
the years, I'm like, okay, what if I do this
and I just have tactical pants from the waist down.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
So there you go. You don't have to worry about
the zipper thing, you.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
Know, especially on what you're doing that day. Exactly do
you find do you find that you you gravitate towards
certain versions of the costume depending on what you're being
asked to do or what time of year it is.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Yeah, yeah, I got I got some suits that.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
Are a little bit more uh even more hotter than usual,
So I usually keep them for like the winter, and
then like the armor, the armor that I've that I've
used in the at the comic book store, I generally
use that. Like if it's like a like a July
summer day and I'm like doing a parade in Prospect
(20:56):
Park or something like that, It's like, yeah, let's let's
do the least he needed suit possible.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
And it's a little bit of relief, it really is.
It makes a difference.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
Well, it just like even when we did the boxing one,
it felt like you could move a lot more in
this Yeah you showed up with yeah, all right. Well,
so you say you're doing parades and stuff as well,
like do you does does that? Do you tend to
get a lot of calls in that of that nature
of like public events or.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
Public events generally generally do I do my my usual?
So we got the aston Community Day Parade, Media Community
Day Parade. Uh, Prospect Park always asked us to do
National Night Out, and by us, I mean the other
you know, people in my cosplay group, and uh, you know,
(21:45):
and then Eric, you get the occasional birthday.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Well what about what about just like messing with people
like you were just like Saturday, late at night, just
go walk the streets.
Speaker 3 (21:55):
Just justice to go people go? Is that in Batman?
Speaker 1 (22:00):
I did that? Honestly.
Speaker 4 (22:02):
I was on vacation down Ocean City, Maryland one time,
and I'm like, I brought the suit with me and
I'm like, I'm want to I'm just gonna suit up
for no reason.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
I'm just gonna walk on the boardwalk.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
That's so good. That must have been fun.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
It was fun. It was fun. And keep in mind,
that was the first time I ever did any month.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
Huh what month?
Speaker 1 (22:24):
I think it was like August.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
We're talking pretty hot. That's yeah at night, Okay at night,
about to say, I'm surprised we're talking.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
Well, and leading up to it, honestly, was was kind
of a big deal because I'm like, I don't know,
I've never done this before.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
Again, I was shy when I was a kid.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
I'm like, this is kind of I don't know, you know,
And I finally pushed myself to do it, and uh,
I went out and you got a couple once you
get past the initial like you got people looking at
you like you like you got two heads. You got
people kind of giving you dirty looks. And then all
the people are just coming up to you and taking
selfies with you, and.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
I do the voice do the same thing.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
You know, and then that just makes everything. I don't
really care what people think.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Yeah, first off, screw truly.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
The people who would give you dirty eyes for you,
you know, dressing up as Batman are miserable people, exactly.
I mean, like, if you're at the point where you're
judging a guy who's making the children of the boardwalk happy,
then yours I got no time for you. Your opinion
means very very little, because obviously they're not here to
just do something cringey. They're here to do something special
(23:31):
for those around you. You were just too shortsighted to
see it, right. So you know, do you do you
find that those moments are consistent with every time you
put on the cap and calend Do you find that.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
They're very rare, very rare? Yeah? And then I generally
it's generally a good response, you know, than than negative.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
I mean, yeah, I yeah, generally it's it's you know,
how about the reverse.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
How about the how about the kids running up and
how happy they are to see you? Is that like
every time for.
Speaker 4 (24:02):
The most part, Yeah, yeah, I mean some of them.
I will admit I have made kids cry before. Oh no,
by the look of me, you know.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
I mean, to be fair, you're like your whole thing
is fear. I mean, I guess you did your job
if they cried. If I'm being honest, you well, and.
Speaker 4 (24:19):
You know, like, I know, I come across like kind
of a kind of an asshole on on those videos.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
Yeah, no, you know when you come off as an.
Speaker 4 (24:29):
Asserson, like I try to be as nice, like when
the kid, you know, like a parent comes up to
me they're holding their child, I'm like, how you doing,
And then as soon as I wait, he's like, I'm like, okay,
I got.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
It, they go find Superman. I'll be right back, right right. Yeah,
You're not an asshole as much as those videos.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
Want you to be. I know that. We all know that, right,
we all know that.
Speaker 6 (24:53):
And to be fair, when you punch Tommy, he swung
it you like six times, that was self defense.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
If you have no idea what we're talking about as
far as that, because this is mostly on YouTube, yeah uh.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
And and those who are listening to the Actual Still podcast.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
If you head over to Comic Universe Delco dot com
or Comic Universe Delco on Instagram. You'll see a lot
of the work that Delco, Batman and I have done
with Comic Universe, and they are by far my favorite videos.
Like every single time you show up, those videos get
exponentially better. And what I love is you never push back.
(25:30):
Like it always gets to a point where I'm more concerned.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
About you than you are.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
I'm like, everybody, break, take a break, let the guy breathe,
get him in front of a fan, and You're just.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
Like, no, I'm fine, I'm fine. I'm like, you're leaking, brother,
You're leaking.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
Yeah, Mike.
Speaker 4 (25:42):
Mike keeps handing me paper tels. I'm like, dude, I
got I got pockets.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Full of paper tels. Good, I'm good, Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (25:52):
But you never say no to an idea. You never
really pushed back.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
I mean you are like that same mentality you had
in the beginning of Batman is who I want to be.
It didn't look the way I wanted to, so I'm
going to push further. It's not like you show up
and say tell me where to go. You're like, well
what about this?
Speaker 3 (26:07):
What about that?
Speaker 2 (26:07):
Like you you also want the finished product, to be
something worth watching.
Speaker 3 (26:12):
Yeah, as simple as a you, as.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
An Instagram video is still comes across as important to you,
which means that the is it speaks to your caliber
as a human. And that's what I I will have
any chance I can get to work with you on
any project, one hundred percent.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
I want you involved because I know that.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
I could say, Delco Batman, I need this done and
I don't have to think about it. It's gonna get
done because Delco Batman is on the case.
Speaker 4 (26:37):
Yeah, I mean I I just yeah, when I was
when when I was younger, we used to do backyard
Me and my buddies used to do backyard wrestling.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
So we used to do the filming and put the
music to.
Speaker 4 (26:48):
It and all that and what you guys do, it
just goes right, you know, it just it falls in
line with all that. And I'm like, finally, I get.
That's why I was telling you the one day. I'm like, dude,
it's amazing being here and you guys just tell me
what to do and I don't have to worry about Wait,
we need to get it from this angle. Wait, we
(27:10):
need to get it from this We got to do that.
It's you guys are a well oiled machine.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Well, let's be honest, that's an Instagram video. When we
start doing other more important things, it will be a
lot of nope. Now we need a wide, Now we
need to sh Now we need tight, Now we need
to we need pickup shots, we need the whole yard.
So yeah, we're gonna get to that point, but not
for Instagram videos.
Speaker 4 (27:29):
Right right, But no, I mean, like I think at
one point I want Buddy. He's like, dude, you got
like Batman, you know, you need to be Wolverine, because
at least with Wolverine you could be you can have
a little bit more fun Batman isn't really like funny
and and and uh you know, Batman like is a
brooding person. And I'm like, yeah, but I'm just I
(27:51):
like to to to goof around and I like to
be to be I tried.
Speaker 1 (27:54):
I like to try and be funny just in general.
Speaker 4 (27:57):
And then once we started doing the videos, same you know,
same people like, yeah, okay, I get it now.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
Yeah, you know it's you make the whole thing kind
of work well.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
And what makes it work so well? And for anybody
who's unaware of.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
Industry terms, you play a great straight man, meaning that
you are the serious person in the video surrounded by knuckleheads.
So you playing it the way that the the Batman
we need you to be.
Speaker 3 (28:24):
Works so well with someone like Mike, who's a walking
cartoon character. Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
The juxtaposition between the two of you is amazing. That's
why that video of you guys playing video games where
you were just riffing, it's so funny because you're still
trying to Like, you kept cracking every once in a while,
which I love, but you were like, I could do that,
but he but you kept trying. You stay in character
when you're in that cow, which is even what it's
(28:50):
hard to do because Mike can make that hard to do.
But you can see that even in moments like that
where it's just riffing, the performance is still important. And
I don't know enough about copy to know how true
that is with everyone I know. I've worked with costplayers
in the past when we've done Fireside, We've had costplayers
at our tables, but a lot of times it's just
taking pictures and you're in a costume.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
We had one cosplayer who was Harley Quinn who kept it.
You know, she would do the dialect in the whole
nine yards. But she was rare, and I found that
to be pretty consistent with the costplayers that I knew.
Most of them were just really into the actual look
and getting the shot right. But as far as the
presentation in you know, in long form content, will say,
(29:32):
it's less important because it really is about the still
instead of the I guess the gravitas of the character
you're trying.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
To play, if that makes sense.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (29:42):
I mean I think this past year when I was
at Fanexpo Philly, I met a Harley Quinn and she
was like in character the.
Speaker 1 (29:50):
Whole I'm like, excuse me, can I get a picture?
She's like, oh my gosh, of course, you know. I'm like, okay, then, yeah,
let's let's do this. If you want to do it,
let's do it.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
Well, does that push you to want to get back
into character? Like is that aspiring to you?
Speaker 2 (30:04):
When you see people like where they don't just wear
the costume, they wear the character.
Speaker 4 (30:09):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, When they do that, it's like, okay, fine,
you want to do it, let's do it.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
Yeah right, yeah, Well I feel like that's the difference.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
And look again, I don't know enough about this community,
so feel free to tell me when I'm wrong. But
I feel like that's what the difference between a good
cost player and a great cost player. Because everyone can
get a good costume, not everyone can embody the character.
Speaker 4 (30:30):
Yeah, I mean, I gotta admit, I have to admit,
you know, it's hard for me to like like the voice.
When I'm in the suit, people come up to me
and ask me for a photo. I'm like, of course, sure,
of course, I'm like, yes, please, let's say.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
You know, like, dude, you got to stay in character.
I'm like I can. I'm having so much fun, you know,
like it's.
Speaker 3 (30:50):
Yeah, I also would like to talk tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
I remember when we were doing the video and you
were doing the books for the week that you were like, dude,
they're doing the voice the entire time is gonna.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
Be a problem.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
I'm like, we could, we could break it up into sections,
we could take a break in between, but I could
see how that would hurt your voice.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
But like, what about like voice changers? Is that something
you ever thought about.
Speaker 4 (31:10):
I looked into that there is a company that makes
like a like a it's a throat mic and then
it runs down your suit and then you got a
little JBL speaker connected to your utility belt.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
Only problem is it's just it's like, I don't know.
Speaker 4 (31:25):
I'm like, if I'm in public, you know, the speaker
is only so big, and you know you're you're you're
fighting against all the the you know, everything around you.
I just didn't see it really worth spending the money.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
What's that?
Speaker 2 (31:43):
I mean, that's fair, it being not being cheaps one thing,
But isn't that also true with your own voice? Yeah,
like you're still competing with everybody.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
Help.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 3 (31:53):
So not to push you into the thing that's not cheap,
I'm just saying, yeah.
Speaker 4 (31:59):
There's just so many things that you could There's so
many things you can spend money on with this cost,
with this hobby.
Speaker 1 (32:08):
I just like certain things.
Speaker 4 (32:10):
I'm like, Okay, I don't necessarily think that's a whole
that's not necessary at least for me, not not right
now at least. Plus on top of all of that,
it's just another thing that I have to figure out,
on top of everything else that I got to put
on my hold on. Let me get under my shirt,
I gotta run the throat mic up and then I
(32:31):
got to put the thing on, make sure it's you know,
it's a lot.
Speaker 3 (32:34):
No, it's a lot.
Speaker 2 (32:35):
I watch you get get into uh into character, We'll say,
and it's a it's a process. Yeah, I let you
usually show up half dressed. You're usually like half in
the suit when you get there.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
Yeah, it's the first video.
Speaker 4 (32:48):
The first time I walk in, I'm like, all right,
I'm gonna suit up outside in the truck, and then
I'm gonna walk in.
Speaker 1 (32:53):
By the third or fourth video, I'm like, hey, guys, alrighty.
Speaker 3 (32:59):
I'll give you a second. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
Well, let's let's talk about Batman for a second, because
let's let's round you out as a Batman fan. Then,
so let's let's first off, let's do some basics, some
easy ones. Let's do your hierarchy of Batman actors. Who's
who's the number one Batman actor for you in all media?
This doesn't have to be like like a lot of
people will go, well, Kevin Conroy is my favorite, but
I would normally I think Kevin Conroy is allowed to
(33:24):
be in the list.
Speaker 4 (33:25):
I think Kevin Conroy probably plays the best, the best
version of Batman.
Speaker 1 (33:31):
Yeah, I grew up with Michael Keaton.
Speaker 4 (33:34):
H you know, but yeah, I love the cartoon, the
animated series that was the best, you know, But I
as a cos player, I kind of take certain points
from all of.
Speaker 1 (33:49):
Them, you know, and it's just kind of make it
my own.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
Well, then let's let's talk about recent Batman then, because
he's so I mean, he's not He's not entirely unique,
but he is unique. When you think about all of
the people who play Batman so far, Robert Pattinson's Batman's
very different.
Speaker 3 (34:04):
So what do you think you pulled from him?
Speaker 4 (34:07):
The tactical the tactical look, you know, he it looks
like he's got like a flight suit. All right, Well
I have tactical pants. I can make that work. That's
that's you know, the armor, my black armor. That it
all kind of works works, It kind of plays into it.
I I you know, I'm I was never really too
crazy about his cow But again, the I love the
(34:30):
tactical aspect of it and that, you know that that works.
Speaker 1 (34:35):
I love the movie.
Speaker 4 (34:36):
The movie kind of more like comic driven, you know,
the long the Long Halloween.
Speaker 1 (34:42):
That's what it is, right.
Speaker 2 (34:43):
With with with the well, it's not really the long Halloween.
But no, but I get what you mean. You mean, yes,
the more detective Riddler story exactly that that movie turned
out to be. The interesting thing about that cow I
feel like they were just trying to make a realistic.
Speaker 3 (35:01):
Version of Adam West's.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
Yeah, So if you look at the two together, it's
very much an Adam West design, just in the dark
black that you would expect a standard design to be,
which I kind of like because I feel like that
costume pulled a lot from everybody, and I feel like
the New Superman did the same thing. I feel like
so many aspects of that costume were pulled from different elements,
like the lines in the suit.
Speaker 3 (35:21):
Yea so very new fifty twoish. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
Is there a version of Batman you haven't done yet
that you want to?
Speaker 4 (35:30):
Well, I mean just recently, I just got a gray
muscle suit from Reeves Effects. And I always said that
I wanted to do my design but black with a
gold trim. I never really had that, you know, the
way I wanted it plus on, like a lighter gray
(35:51):
muscle suit. So that was the latest one that I did,
and that was the one that's always escaped to me
over the years.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
So about blue gray.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
I tried. I did that once. It didn't last very long.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
Okay, yeah, why why so? Because it's such a big topic.
Good debate with James Gun right now and how he
wants his Batman to look and everybody wants that, but
he's like, it kind of looks weird on film.
Speaker 4 (36:15):
I think for me, it's just like my style is
I just I think I I look a lot better
with like black, dark gray, you know, the bright the
bright blue, the you know. I don't know, it's just
I'm not I'm not knocking it by any means. It's
just for me when I'm shooted up from head to
(36:38):
toe in black with the cow and the you know,
in the arm or I'm like, I like that.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
It looks good to me.
Speaker 3 (36:45):
What about U? What about white eyes?
Speaker 1 (36:48):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (36:49):
Yeah, I would love to do white eyes because that
way it would it would relieve me from putting on
I make up every time.
Speaker 2 (36:55):
Although it is awesome when you take off that cow
and you look like an yeah singer, there.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
Is some aspects of that.
Speaker 2 (37:02):
Yeah, I just get a real MOPy looking version of you,
just like real dramatic light.
Speaker 1 (37:07):
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (37:10):
There's just something funny about the idea of every time
Batman is about to go out and do something serious,
he has to run into the bathroom real quick.
Speaker 3 (37:15):
Hold on, hold on, let me just apply my makeup.
Speaker 4 (37:19):
Yeah, I'm asking my girlfriend. I'm like, you know, like,
you know, makeup remover. Everything that I'm doing is burning
my eyes.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
Oh no, you've ever like laid down after like having
that on your face and staining your pillow?
Speaker 3 (37:31):
Have you? No, you forget to take that off.
Speaker 2 (37:35):
The reason I ask is my dad's in media and
he has to wear stage makeup. Yeah, and a lot
of times I'll come home and forget about it and
then all of sudden you look at the pillow and
you're like, oh my god, what happened?
Speaker 1 (37:45):
L Yeah.
Speaker 4 (37:47):
Usually when I when I get out of the suit,
the first thing that I need is food because I
just sweat.
Speaker 1 (37:53):
You know.
Speaker 4 (37:54):
No, I usually assume I don't go to sleep immediately
after I get out of the sair just you know.
Fun The funny part is like when we're out, like
when the group of us are out and afterwards like, hey,
let's go grab some food and I completely forgot. That's
when I forget and we're like walking into Applebee's or whatever.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
And you look like an Emo singer.
Speaker 1 (38:16):
Yeah, I'm like, I have to explain myself now.
Speaker 2 (38:19):
Which is probably makes you look even crazier, Like I'm
sorry about this, I'm Batman.
Speaker 1 (38:23):
Yeah right, sure you are sure?
Speaker 3 (38:26):
All right pal? Anyway you're getting it to go right? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (38:32):
All right.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
Well let's say we already we talked about your the
favorite of the Batman actors. But let's go ahead, and
I'm a I'm feeling Batman Forever is number one, But
what what is our top three Batman movies?
Speaker 4 (38:43):
No, I mean back like when I it's just it
was thirteen years old.
Speaker 1 (38:49):
I gets just as came out, you know.
Speaker 4 (38:51):
I honestly I love the original Batman eighty nine, even
though it's not exactly comic accurate. You know, they kind of,
you know, deviated, but it was the first movie that
they made that's like not campy, but I love I
really like Ben Affleck's version because he's brooding.
Speaker 1 (39:13):
It's like that Dark Knight Return style.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
You said that because he doesn't get nearly enough credit.
He is not the problem with those movies. People just
hated the idea that it was Ben Affleck, and it's
like he's actually really good and I would argue maybe
the best Batman scene on film with that warehouse scene.
Oh yeah, that warehouse scene is incredible. The movie is
not great, but that scene is something special. And he
(39:36):
he's not my lead, he's like people make fun of
the way his voice sounds, and people like even if
there's a one percent chance that he's a like, all
of that feels very Batman to me.
Speaker 3 (39:44):
I don't. I don't know why I will too, whatever,
I completely agree.
Speaker 2 (39:48):
I think Ben Affleck is way overheated in a role
that he actually was one of the shining lights in
a bad movie.
Speaker 4 (39:55):
Yeah well, hey, remember, I mean we're going back now.
I remember seeing videos when Michael Keaton first got got
cast as Batman, be like, mister mom, are you kidding me?
Like seriously? And then he did it and everyone's like,
oh my gosh, he's the great you.
Speaker 3 (40:11):
Know, he's oh yeah, he did do the same thing.
Speaker 2 (40:15):
Toby maguire remember, oh my god, the kid from Pleasantville.
Yeah right, yeah, right, yeah, he's still so many of
our Peter Parker's.
Speaker 1 (40:23):
Yeah yeah, and he knocked it out the park.
Speaker 3 (40:25):
All right, what's so, what's your three? Then?
Speaker 1 (40:28):
Three best movie Batman?
Speaker 3 (40:29):
Three Best Batman movies. What's the hierarchy?
Speaker 4 (40:31):
Uh? I feel like, no matter what I say, I'm
going to piss someone off.
Speaker 3 (40:37):
But that's what we do here.
Speaker 2 (40:39):
Are going to agree with you, and they just hit
the thumbs up button. Only the people who met the
people who type usually have a problem.
Speaker 4 (40:45):
I mean, okay, So I mean, right off the cuff,
I'm just gonna say, you know, Mike, my top three
are gonna be probably we'll say eighty nine Batman, Nolan's
The Dark Night, and then Batman v.
Speaker 1 (41:03):
Superman.
Speaker 3 (41:04):
Wow, you would put that at three.
Speaker 1 (41:06):
Because I like crazy the clash.
Speaker 2 (41:09):
Yeah, well, look at it. I'm not even typing and
I'm pissed off.
Speaker 3 (41:12):
No, I'm kidding now, I know.
Speaker 2 (41:16):
I get that I seeing them fight on screen, especially
that the scene where the Kryptonite is wearing off as
he's passing Superman and his face stops moving and Henry
cavill Is just is a gem. So there's so much
great about that movie that it's okay to forgive the
script for some of it. But the fact that you
have to watch an extra forty five minutes for the
(41:36):
script to make sense drives me up a.
Speaker 4 (41:38):
While that, Yeah, it's such a shame because I remember
I watched I watched Zack Snyder's Justice League, and I'm like, granted,
this movie he's like over three hours long, but it
is so much better than the original.
Speaker 2 (41:51):
Yes, it's a great, Yeah, no question about that, and
that a lot of that has to come do with
uh oh, what's his name?
Speaker 3 (41:58):
The director?
Speaker 1 (42:00):
I forget, Josh Whedon.
Speaker 2 (42:01):
Yes, yeah, when Whedon came in, he had his own
idea on what it was, and as we heard from
Ray Parker and a bunch of the other people who
were a part of that, that there was a lot
of tumultuous you know, personalities will say, yeah, not Apparently
he was making fun of the original movie a lot
with Zack Snyder's because I mean, it must have been
weird to get there and see three hours worth of
(42:22):
footage and then have to cut that down into an
hour and a half. But apparently regardless of that, You're
absolutely right, the Snyder cut is really good. It bloated,
and it's long, and it should be a two parter.
But yeah, past that, it is very well done and
it is a really good epic.
Speaker 3 (42:40):
So I'm with you on that. I am happy he's
not in charge anymore.
Speaker 2 (42:44):
Yeah, as much as I liked that movie, as much
as I like three hundred, I don't think he's at
his best when he has to work on scripts.
Speaker 3 (42:52):
He doesn't have to work on a script.
Speaker 2 (42:53):
When he's just given something and said, make your version
of this, he tends to do a good job. Three
hundreds outstanding. I like the Watchman movie. I know a
lot of people don't, but I think the Watchman movie
is very good. But if he had to write his
version of that, probably not so much. So Resent Red
Rebel Moon, nobody cared about everyone. Why would I not
just watch Star.
Speaker 1 (43:10):
Wars right exactly?
Speaker 3 (43:12):
So I'm with you there.
Speaker 2 (43:13):
I don't think i'd give it number three, though, I
think i'd have to put The Batman at number three.
I'm with you on the first two. But I think
The Batman is a better movie all around. Yeah, oh yeah, yeah,
but I get I get your point. I also think
that Batman Forever is a little overheted as well. I
don't think Val Kilmer is the best Batman, but I
(43:35):
love him as Bruce Wayne. I think he's Yeah, I
think he's a great Bruce Wayne.
Speaker 4 (43:39):
And with like even with George Clooney, even though as
abismo as that was, I feel like he did.
Speaker 1 (43:46):
He didn't do a horrible job as Bruce Wayne.
Speaker 2 (43:48):
He was just George Clooney though. Yeah, he just he
just stayed George Clooney the whole time. Yeah, didn't really
switch much up. He was like Batperson. Yeah, I still
felt like it was on Gray's Anatomy or what was
what was the E R E R Anatomy? All right, Well,
(44:10):
so we we know that, you know, obviously Batman and
Will Remeet a lot to you. We know that there's
a Punisher cosplay that exists, but we haven't seen it much.
What does the future look like for for Delco Batman?
Speaker 1 (44:21):
Like?
Speaker 3 (44:21):
What what are some dream things you would love to do?
Speaker 1 (44:26):
I want to I want to go to more comic cons.
Speaker 4 (44:29):
Yeah, my biggest thing is I want to I want
to make it out to uh cosplay. I think it's
called Cosplay World Richmond, Virginia or or Steel City Con
in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 1 (44:44):
I want to. I want to go to more.
Speaker 4 (44:45):
Comic cons and meet all these people that I've been
talking to on Instagram and I know I have yet
to meet. That's that's my biggest thing. I want to
meet all these these are my people. Like it's like
when I go to a con, I see all these people,
perfect stranger. You don't even know who this person is,
but across the room you pointed him, he points back
at you, and you're just like yeah, because.
Speaker 2 (45:05):
You're in a world together that very few people understand
unless she's actually put on the suit.
Speaker 3 (45:10):
Yeah, no, I get that. I get that.
Speaker 2 (45:12):
I wish there were cosplayers for bigger people. I have
like two choices.
Speaker 5 (45:18):
I got like the dude, I could be silent Bob maybe,
but yeah, it is something that I always that I
always admired, especially when people wear the character.
Speaker 3 (45:33):
I think.
Speaker 2 (45:34):
I think I'm gonna stick with that. That's saying because
I like it when actors do the same thing. Like
I like when an actor is like, nope, that I
am known as this character and I will ride those
rails for as long as people will have me as
that character.
Speaker 1 (45:46):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (45:47):
Like I hate when people are like, I don't want
to be pigeon held and just only seen is that
one thing? It's like, why why would you not want
to leave your mark on such an iconic aspect of
pop culture?
Speaker 1 (45:57):
Right?
Speaker 3 (45:58):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (45:59):
Seriously?
Speaker 3 (46:00):
Yeah? All right?
Speaker 2 (46:01):
Well, so with a with more cons in your future,
with more meetups other than Batman, Wolverine and Punisher. Is
there anybody else that we might see you as one
of these days? Is there any dream costplays down the road?
Like if you had an unlimited amount of money, an
endless bank account, or a credit card that you never
had to pay back, what would you get?
Speaker 4 (46:23):
Well, I've been told a couple of times that I
would I would do a good judged read.
Speaker 3 (46:29):
That's a good I think you would make a good judgment. Yeah,
I think you would make a good judgement.
Speaker 1 (46:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (46:34):
To be honest, I think you could do a good
Red Hood. I think yeah.
Speaker 2 (46:36):
I mean, I think there's a plenty of characters that
you could pull off very well. It's just and I
don't know, is that an aspect of cosplay where you
just kind of gravitate to a character and then you
just perfect that character or is it like you could
tell for me, you know, make one magic the gathering deck,
it turns into fifteen right?
Speaker 1 (46:54):
Right?
Speaker 3 (46:55):
Is that the same?
Speaker 2 (46:56):
Is that like do you ever find the itch to
wear a different costume? Or is it always like how
do I make Batman better?
Speaker 4 (47:03):
It's usually just how do I I'm always I am
always tinkering with stuff. It's like you're It's almost like
you can ask any cosplayer, it's kind of like you are.
I feel like you are never one hundred percent happy
with you know, if you're making it yourself, at least,
like this Wolverine suit that I have. I've built that
(47:26):
last I started it last September. I finished it in December,
and I'm still last week, I was still adjusting it
and working on it. And so it's always I am
always thinking of ways to either either improve the suit.
Speaker 1 (47:45):
Make it easier on me, make it more comfortable.
Speaker 3 (47:50):
You know, Oh no, I will.
Speaker 2 (47:52):
And the reason I like the way that you're saying that,
I'm actually trying to look up a quote real quick
because you made me think of something.
Speaker 3 (47:58):
Who is the one who's said it.
Speaker 2 (48:01):
Leonardo da Vinci said that art is never finished, only abandoned.
Speaker 1 (48:05):
Yeah, and I think that.
Speaker 2 (48:07):
I think that's very true for costplayers. And I think
that's the difference again between wearing the character versus wearing
the costume. I think there are those and I think
that's the difference also with someone who wants to tinker
and be good at being Batman versus have a wardrobe
of characters to select from, because it's more about the
person behind the cow than you, Like, I mean, just
to be transparent, we cut this if you don't really
(48:29):
want to say this part. But you didn't want me
to use your name because of the gravitas of the
cape and cow. And I love that, Like I love
the idea that you want the mystery to stay alive
because you are Delco Batman.
Speaker 3 (48:41):
You were not the face behind the cow.
Speaker 1 (48:43):
You were exactly and I love that.
Speaker 2 (48:45):
And I think that's what makes you an artist verst
Like I mean, I hate to say versus costpier because
I believe costplayers are artists, but.
Speaker 3 (48:51):
I think there's a difference between the two, if that
makes sense.
Speaker 1 (48:54):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean, I just I don't know.
I like tinkering with stuff.
Speaker 3 (49:00):
I do.
Speaker 4 (49:01):
I you know, even even with the cosplay group, Cap
was was having some issues with his costume and and
I'm like, look, if I can help you out in
any way, that I will. My one buddy is actually
starting a Rocket Raccoon cosplay.
Speaker 1 (49:15):
So I'm supposed to.
Speaker 7 (49:16):
Be you can be group what's that you're gonna be grouped?
I don't know if I'm gonna well you know what
I mean, just saying you just opened up a can
of worms.
Speaker 3 (49:28):
Now it's an option.
Speaker 4 (49:31):
Well, the funny part is he was he was Robin
to me a couple of years ago, so that would
actually make sense if I'm his group.
Speaker 3 (49:40):
You know that, so well, so how does that work then?
With like I know you and Delco Deadpool are closed.
Speaker 2 (49:47):
Yeah, when you know that he's going to a con,
do you still show up as Batman or do you go, Oh,
I gotta be Wolverine because his depole's there.
Speaker 4 (49:54):
It depends, you know, if if me and Deadpool go together,
usually I want to do w but like the best
solution to that is if it's a two con day,
I'll do dead Pool and Wolverine, like say Saturday, and
then Sunday I'm like, look, I have to be Batman,
So Sunday I'll do Batman. And now that we have
(50:16):
a dead Pool Batman comic crossover, it might you know,
make a little bit more sense.
Speaker 2 (50:21):
Yeah, well, yeah, we're gonna see you both again, and
I know I'm going to see you plenty of times,
but I definitely November is right around the corner. We
gotta we gotta do a sequel to Too Absolutely to you.
Speaker 3 (50:34):
That was such a funny video.
Speaker 2 (50:36):
Yeah, but I'm actually really excited for a punisher video.
I'm gonna keep pushing that. You can get sick of
me saying, guess you brought that punishing vest we can.
Speaker 1 (50:45):
I mean, it's it's hanging up right around the corner, so.
Speaker 3 (50:48):
You gonna be okay, not showing that you're gonna be
okay outside of a.
Speaker 1 (50:51):
Cow, I guess.
Speaker 4 (50:53):
So yeah, I have to let my let my beer.
It's it's yeah. The one thing I will say, it's
like with Wolverine Batman. See I want to go full
blown mottin chops with Wolverine. But it's like Halloween time
comes around and it's like, Okay, I got a trunk
or tree as Batman Saturday, and then I have this
as Wolverine Sunday. It's like, okay, well Batman does not
(51:15):
have motton chops.
Speaker 2 (51:16):
Yeah, so it is what it is, and Batman wins
out when when you have to make the choice, it's
gonna be Batman.
Speaker 3 (51:22):
Of course, Batman versus Wolverine. Who wins.
Speaker 1 (51:28):
That's a tough one, honestly.
Speaker 4 (51:29):
I mean Wolverine heels, you know, Batman is smart, and
he's got all the gadgets, and he's rich.
Speaker 1 (51:36):
But I don't know. I honestly don't know how the
answer to that one.
Speaker 3 (51:39):
I feel like I feel like Wolverine takes it over time.
Speaker 2 (51:41):
Yeah, I feel like Batman eventually gets tired and Wolverine wins.
Speaker 1 (51:45):
He's only human.
Speaker 2 (51:46):
I feel it's inevitable. I think, actually, bat in the
Sun have you ever seen them? I did Superpower beat Down.
They they that the Batman Wolverine one of the first
ones they did. I thought was a really good version
of he thought he had Batman thought he was a
Wolverine out and then that's when he died. He's like,
well that sounds about right that that see. Oh, by
the way, spoiler alert for a really old video.
Speaker 3 (52:07):
But yeah, right right right, all right.
Speaker 2 (52:10):
Well, I mean I feel as though that we we
got to get you on one more time, at.
Speaker 3 (52:15):
The very least with uh with the the.
Speaker 2 (52:17):
Other cow on. We'll do a Wolverine centric one. But well,
we got more Comic Universe videos. You and I have
more things that we were talking about doing, so we've
got some cool things in the works. Uh, And I believe,
I believe we can get you into those other cons too. Now,
the moment you said that, my my wheel started turning
(52:38):
and I started texting people. So I want to see
what I can do about some of these other con things.
Speaker 3 (52:43):
But I want to thank you for for your time today.
I want to thank you for coming on, especially for
the cow and sitting in the heat. I hope you
have multiple fans on you.
Speaker 1 (52:52):
That's fine, that's all good.
Speaker 3 (52:54):
Yeah, no leaking. It was very impressive. No leaking on
this one.
Speaker 1 (52:57):
No leaking.
Speaker 4 (52:57):
Yeah, well, you know what, it's a two piece so
or it's you know, I could turn my head.
Speaker 2 (53:02):
That's amazing. I'm so proud, right do uh do me
a favorite. Tell everybody where they can find you.
Speaker 1 (53:08):
Uh, Don'tko Batman on Instagram and Facebook.
Speaker 3 (53:11):
Dolco Batman Instagram, Facebook, anywhere else.
Speaker 1 (53:14):
Now that's about it.
Speaker 4 (53:15):
I don't have threads or TikTok or anything like that.
Speaker 3 (53:18):
So well we might get we might get you TikTok
if we start making more videos.
Speaker 1 (53:22):
Yeah, you know, yeah, it's it's tough to keep. Let's
let look, I made the mistake.
Speaker 4 (53:30):
I I wanted to you know, don'co Batman, Okay, I
kind of I kind of just isolated myself to that,
and then it's like on Instagram, it's like, oh, well
I want I could do Punisher Wolverine. But then I'm like,
maybe I'm overthinking it, but like how why would I
have Wolverine pictures on a Delco Batman page? So then
(53:53):
I created Delco Wolverine and then I realized how.
Speaker 1 (53:57):
I got multiple Yeah, so I'm like this, this sucks.
Speaker 2 (54:03):
So yeah, and you can't really go Delco Batman slash Wolverine.
Speaker 3 (54:07):
Yeah, it's way too Batverine, Like that doesn't right right, Yeah,
that doesn't work. So I get it. I get it.
Speaker 2 (54:14):
Things things to sort out. But this was awesome. We
will definitely have to do this again.
Speaker 1 (54:19):
Yes, thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (54:21):
And uh yeah, I will see you at the store.
You can find the show at that comic podcast. If
you're listening to this, please head over to YouTube give
us a subscription there. That's where we are trying to
grow the most.
Speaker 3 (54:31):
Right now. Uh so comment, like.
Speaker 2 (54:33):
All the jazz that everybody who you follow tells you
to do all the time, If you don't mind doing
all that same stuff for us, that'd be great. Go
look up Delco Batman, Go check out Creative Cosplay, take
a take a look and support him over there as well.
Let's get him another spread of Wolverine and then I
want to see a publisher.
Speaker 1 (54:51):
There we go. It'll happen
Speaker 4 (55:00):
That that that, that's no
That Comic Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Hello, and welcome back to that Comic podcast. And as
you can see, it's just me. But wow, do I
have a guest that I'd never thought i'd have. You
can tell by the cowl, you can tell by the years.
He might have a Delco accent. But my god, there's
no other Batman in my life. But Delco Batman, thank
you so much for joining me. My good sir. It's
been a while. We've talked about doing this, but you're
(00:30):
here in the cowl, which is the best part.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Yes, yes, thank you for having me appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Oh, I know it's so for anybody unaware, Delco Batman
and myself have been working pretty hand in hand for
a little bit over at Comic Universe, doing a lot
of their Instagram reels and a lot of their social
media content, which has been just been a blast. But
I also got a good insight on what it's like
to be Batman. And that's what I think is so
(00:56):
interesting about today's show, which is what is the day
in the life of Batman? So Delco Batman explain to me.
First off, how did we get into this world? Like,
what what brought us into costplaying to this degree, and
what is it about cosplaying that keeps you coming back?
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Especially to Batman?
Speaker 1 (01:17):
It all I guess it all started.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
Uh my, uh, my buddy has a uh he used
to have a Halloween party every year and uh he
used to have a whole nine yards costume contest, the.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Whole, the whole, you know, the whole thing.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
And then uh the first time I I costplayed as
Rambo and I had like the face grease and then
I had a prosthetic gash on my shoulder, grossing people out.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
I was like.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
Playing with it, you know, and it it was a hit.
And then next year I kept topping myself. I'm like,
I have to I have to to do something more
and with what you know. So then the one year
I'm like, I'm going to be I want to be Batman.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
I want to be like.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Don't we all?
Speaker 4 (02:01):
Yeah, of course, And like when the time came, it
was absolutely horrible.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
It was it.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
It didn't come out as like I had it imaged
in my head. And then once I brought it to life,
it was it wasn't that great. But we all start somewhere.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
But see that's the Batman in you. Because it wasn't
like let's just move on. Obviously this isn't for me.
Take a look behind him and you can see for
those who were watching instead of listening, and to those
who are listening, go to YouTube and check the actual
clip out. But this man has multiple variations of the
Batman costume. He's got multiple variations of the cow. I
like the fact that your story started with disappointment, but
that's just fueled you into becoming the best Batman you
(02:41):
could be.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, basically yeah. And then one thing led
to another. My my same friend, his daughter was turning
five and he's like, hey, do you feel like doing
a birthday party for you know, for my daughter. I'm
like absolutely. Then that thing turned that turned into just snowball.
Next thing, you know, I saw muscle suits and then
(03:05):
I bought one.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Then I bought you're telling me that's not you.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
No, Unfortunately.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
I've been cheated.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
But yeah, yeah, one one turned into two, two turned
into three and then uh and then over the years,
I slowly started to learn a lot more about cosplay.
I started to get into the making your own kind
of thing. I don't make the cows, I don't make
(03:36):
these suits, but I have uh dove into having people
three D print my armor and I put it together.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
I glue it, I do all the all the painting, and.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
It is pretty satisfying when you see it all come
to life.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Well, let's move back.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
I want to talk about your accolades in the second
but before we let's let's go.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Back into the origin a little bit.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Because I am intrigued on the idea of you getting
to see yourself in the cape and cowl for the
first time and yet being disappointed in the outcome. But
that that driving you further. So what was it about
that moment that made you go, all right, I'm gonna
step this up opposed to well I tried that, let's
pick something else.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
Well, I just like anything that I do. Uh, clearly,
I want everything to work out on the first try,
and it never works out on the first try.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Oh, we filmed together, I'm aware.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
Yeah, So I'm like, I'm not, I'm I refuse, I
refuse to accept this.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
I'm not, you know, so I learned I was.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
I was piecing so many different things together, Like I
had a Batman Returns cow with Arkham City chest piece,
and I'm looking at it. I'm like, you're you got
way too much different things going on here, and my
mind was like, I'm seeing Batman returns, I'm seeing Arkham.
It's like, you know what, why don't you start doing
(05:04):
your own vision? I like that way you have no
expectations like you. I mean, you have no like Michael
Keaton or Ben Affleck or you know, take them different aspects,
you know. And then and then once I kind of
figured that, then I'm like all right, I'm I'm good.
And then I designed my own bat one the emblem.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Oh yeah, oh that's awesome. Oh that's very cool.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Well that's and I always thought was unique when every
time we would we would do something at comic universes,
very very rarely did I see you in full get up,
and it was the same get up. Yeah, Like every
like we did the boxing video, it was a different suit.
When we did the You Attacking Mic, it was a
different suit. When yeah, you guys were buddies playing video games.
There's a little different Like every one of them, you
(05:46):
showed up in something unique, which is like I'm like, man,
this guy really earned the name Delco Batman. Just like
he throws a costume on, like no, he opens up
his wardrobe and goes, hmm, which is the costume today?
What would best fit what I'm trying to accomplish? And
that screams Batman first off? Right, but it's but Batman's
(06:07):
not the only character. No, So you also do Wolverine.
I do, And you've got multiple Wolverines as well. I
do Wolverine.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
Yes, as a matter of fact, it suits right here,
but I'm afraid to turn the camera.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
And that's fair. We'll do another interview as Wolverine. Yeah, right,
So what it was it just.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
An easy jump from Batman to Wolverine because of the
grisly voice or like what we want?
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (06:31):
Was that?
Speaker 1 (06:31):
It was really more more or less?
Speaker 4 (06:33):
I mean, my buddy so so besides that, a friend
of mine I didn't realize at the time, was caught
would cosplay as dead Pole and we we were talking,
as I do we should do, we should do comic cons.
But at that point I was Batman and then dead
Pool and Wolverine was on the verge of coming out.
(06:56):
I'm like, I think I might have to do a Wolverine.
So he got all excited and I started doing Wolverine.
But ultimately, for some reason, I just keep gravitating back
towards Batman. You know, when it comes to public appearances,
community day parades, it's just Batman is just as universally
(07:16):
loved by all ages.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Absolutely, that's an icon of a character.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
But yeah, I guess that asked the begs the question then,
growing up, were you just a big comic fan and
Batman was your guy?
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Or Batman was my guy? Yeah? I remember.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
I think it was like nineteen ninety seven, whenever Batman
Forever came out.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
And forever of all.
Speaker 4 (07:35):
Yeah, I know, I know, but yeah I got I
think my dad. My dad got me the just the
cheap Halloween costume with the cloth cow. And then we
went to I think it was Fencers in the Granite
run mall. Remember they had the big wall of masks
(07:57):
behind the counter. Yeah, so I saw a euro Thane
version of the Sonar cow, and I'm like, I want that.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
I gotta have it.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
I gotta have it.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
So even at that age, I'm like, this this thing,
what do we have here? Like this this this you
know costume from Spirit Halloween. You know, I'm like, all right,
if I do, if I replaced the cow, that'll look better,
you know.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
So I'm already at that so.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
How does this work? Then?
Speaker 2 (08:26):
So for anybody who's unaware, when I say Delco Batman,
I guess that doesn't make sense for the entire country.
So Delco Batman is Delaware County here in Pennsylvania. So
you are you being the Batman of Delco. What happens
when you meet like the Batman of Montgomery County or
the Batman of Philadelphia or the Batman of Idaho? Like,
is there an interconnected like trade man?
Speaker 1 (08:46):
We trade stories stories. Yeah, matter of fact, I bade
those up.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
I didn't know those were people were real.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
Oh yeah, well, I mean I don't know about Batman
and Delaware of Montgomery County, but I'm good friends with
uh uh Bradman cosplay. So he he does Batman in Columbus, Ohio, and.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
That's where I was. That's my Batman. Yeah, so I gave,
well you're my Batman now, yeah right, so.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
Uh but yeah, we talk regularly and yeah, yeah, I
know I know a few a few people.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
It's we just trade stories.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Well, is these is the like I know how the
common community has become very niche oriented, Like you'll find
a lot of people in like, say Batman chat rooms.
Is that Batman is that same with cosplay? Is it
like Batman Cosplay chat room or is it just like cosplay?
Speaker 4 (09:32):
There is Yeah, yeah, I mean there's plenty of Facebook
groups like Batman Facebook groups that I used to be
regular in. You just you know, you go on there
and you post your you know, you do a photo shoot.
You'd post like, hey, guys, check this out. I just
got this new cow from Hernandez. You know, blah blah blah,
and uh, you know, everyone it's a it was. It's
(09:55):
a very supportive community. Everyone is super nice. But but yeah,
I mean there's there's there's a I don't know, there's
a chat for everything now, like you know, Wolverine, Joker, Batman.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
I mean there's there's a little bit for everyone.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
But is there every Do you ever find like an
itch to do a new cosplayer or is it kind
of consistently Wolverine Batman because you tend to then get
another Batman suit or another Wolverine suit.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (10:27):
Do you ever want to branch out? Because I think
you could be a good punisher.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
I actually did punish her before. Yeah, yeah, I actually did. Yeah,
I uh.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
I could.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
I have the best? I got the best.
Speaker 4 (10:42):
I actually my my buddy hunts. So I asked him,
I said, can you get me a legit crushed bullet?
I wanted to do full authenticity here.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
So that's awesome. So he he.
Speaker 4 (10:58):
He uses, I don't know, there's blist jail to where
you shoot and you can actually recover the bullet.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
And he's like, here you go.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
So I grabbed it and then I and I infused
it in the in the vest and I threw some
some fake blood on there and yeah, all.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Right, so there's definitely a punish your video coming in
they soon at some point.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
Now that I know that's an option.
Speaker 6 (11:17):
Yes, actually, what are you doing Tuesday?
Speaker 3 (11:23):
Yeah, we'll talk about that later. But oh, so, so
how long all together have you been costplaying?
Speaker 1 (11:29):
Then? Maybe about like ten years?
Speaker 3 (11:31):
Ten years? Wow, that's amazing.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
So then recently Creative Cosplay magazine just featured you, and
you you had several pages in there dedicated to how
awesome your your Batman costume is.
Speaker 4 (11:42):
It was I think it was the top of maybe
like the bottom half of one page.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
I thought, I swore there was. There was at least
four or five photos. I googled all this you got here?
Speaker 4 (11:56):
So we share like the way they the way they
it looks like they did. This is the first time
I've I've done this with them. So basically, again the
cosplay community. I talked to all my other friends and uh,
you know you you go on there and you apply.
I see them at all the comic cons and the
last time I saw him was at Fan Expo Philly
(12:16):
and the guy's like, did you have you sent? Have
you submitted yet? I'm like no, but I would love to.
He's like, please send send us, send us some photos.
So I'm like, all right, so I did my thing.
But yeah, essentially I think I share the page with
a Red Hood Joker cosplay.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
Yeah, are you going to resubmit his Wolverine?
Speaker 5 (12:39):
Uh?
Speaker 3 (12:40):
Eventually, yes you should, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Now, so the whole kind of delco, we'll call it
the amalgam universe. But since there's DC and Marvel characters
among you all, actually there's Ghostbusters as well.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
You guys seem like a pretty tight knit group.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Is Is it just because of location or how does
how does the cosplay community work?
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Is it because like with comic shops, it's easy.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
You go to the comic book store and you see
other people who are in the Comics and Problem soulve
But it's not like you guys won't meet up at Michael's.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
No.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
No. I mean that's the one thing that that that
kind of sucks because it's like I talk to a
lot of people across the United States even even the world,
and and I I really want to meet all these people,
but unfortunately, you know, not too many of them are
around here. Like I said, I got I got two
friends of mine in Columbus, Ohio, and and I got
(13:32):
I got another friend in Vegas. And but but now
it's like once we found uh you know, like Delco, Spidey, Delco, Deadpool,
we just you know, kind of just congregated together, and
it's like, hey, let's hey, let's let's create a chat,
and let's just you know, keep throwing throwing different dates
out there, and it's like, hey, you guys want to
(13:53):
do this comic con, or hey you want to do
this community day. And you know, whoever shows up and
can make it great. If not, we all have lives.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
I bet you.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
It also probably creates this inadvertent competition. And I don't
mean you're actually competing, but what I mean is when
you all of sudden show up in a new suit
with muscles and armory, and everyone's like, well, damn, I
only have spandex. Everybody else has to now step up
because again, you look like you have a legitimate bat
closet behind you.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
I'm guessing that they all don't have the same thing.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
Yeah, yeah, I mean I don't know. Actually I can't
say that now.
Speaker 4 (14:29):
Not too many of the of my other fellow cos
players around here probably go as crazy as I do.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
I don't have.
Speaker 4 (14:37):
It's not crazy, it's dedication, well dedicated to this, so.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
I mean, to be fair, they don't like, it's not
like Spider Man's gonna come with that wall. It's just
going to be on a hangar or in a trunk,
so to.
Speaker 6 (14:51):
Be fair, yeah, but that it's it's cool to see.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
How Like, ever, since working with you at Comic Universe,
how many times it's been like, oh, well, let's call
Deadpool and it's like you're gonna what.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
Well, let's get Spidy on the phone.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Maybe Goth that America could show up, and I'm like,
what the hell is happening?
Speaker 3 (15:07):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:08):
The toughest thing is to try and get everyone's schedule
in sync because we again, we all have lives and
it's super tough, but when we do get together, it's
it's really special.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Well, and let's let's let's talk about the special part,
because one of the aspects of being Batman has to
be how the community sees you. So it's like, yes,
Batman is a cultural icon. Yes, you being Batman is
going together attention no matter where you go. But the
kind of attention that it brings is just it's it's
whimsical almost like the kids who see you must lose
(15:41):
their mind because you don't look like a guy in
a halloween costume. You're not wearing hockey pads.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
You know what I mean. Like you've obviously put a
lot of effort and you do.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
You are a very passing Batman, Like there's no question
when you see you, like, wow, that guy really went
out of us.
Speaker 3 (15:55):
Yeah that's Bruce. You know, So what is it?
Speaker 2 (15:58):
What's what's what's let's zoom out. What's the most rewarding
aspect of being Batman?
Speaker 4 (16:05):
The younger kids coming up to you and just just
straight hugging you. They don't even say hi, they just
run up and they just grip on. Yeah, that's that's
super cool. Yeah, And then just even even adults when
I go you know, when I go to a comic
con or I'm doing these events, they just like pass
you by and like, dude, that that's that. You know,
(16:28):
that's a great suit. It it it helps your confidence.
When I was a kid, I was I was shy.
I didn't talk to anyone. I had like my my
close group of friends and that was it. But then
once I started doing this kind of boost your confidence
a little bit makes you feel good, all right.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
So we talked about what was great, and I agree,
that's got to be a special moment. But what's probably
the worst part about being Batman? Like, if we did
the we did the best, what's the worst part of
a day of Batman?
Speaker 4 (16:55):
Okay, so the worst part is pretty easy, so you know,
you got So when it comes to birthday parties and
public appearances, mainly birthday parties.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
You have like the younger kids, the younger kids.
Speaker 4 (17:08):
That just run up to you and give you a
hug and they're like it's Batman, Oh my.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
Gosh, you know.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
And then and then there's like this like this you know,
age group where they get old enough to where they're like,
you're not the real Batman, where's your Batmobile?
Speaker 1 (17:25):
And I'm like, my batmobile is a matter of fact
right there.
Speaker 4 (17:28):
I you know, I got this bran, this beautiful bat
black camaro.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
And They're like all I see is a car And
I'm like, what do.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
You think the batmobile? What do you think mobile in Batman?
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Right right? I'm sorry it doesn't have black wings on it.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
Go watch the Batman and come back to me.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Right right.
Speaker 4 (17:45):
So, I mean you know that it's a small, small, little,
little tiny whatever you want to call it, negative in
a in a bigger you know, but it is what
it is.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
It comes to the territory.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
I get that, and I'm going to challenge you a
little bit. That is the worst part. And I'm I, look,
I don't play Batman. I've never dressed up as Batman,
but I'm still going to assume that more than an
hour in that suit has to be rough.
Speaker 3 (18:10):
That has to be like.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
Once you hit, once you hit fifty minutes. I feel
like heat stroke is a problem.
Speaker 4 (18:16):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it it definitely, and mainly the cow
because there's no escaping this, so I start leaking out
the back, start leaking out the front.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Oh, every video we've done there's usually a little drip
off the nose of the cow. It's always funny when
because there's always backlit too.
Speaker 4 (18:36):
Especially when when you're you're in front of kids and
the kids are like, why are you leaking?
Speaker 1 (18:42):
Well, I'm a human being, so you know, human being sweat,
so you know, I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
Well, I heard Ben Affleck was saying that he couldn't
do more than like thirty five forty minutes at a
time before he would get headaches and he would get
like he had to keep getting out of the costume
to cool off.
Speaker 4 (19:00):
I don't normally get headaches, honestly, Like my my, my
one shoulders starts to ache me after a certain point.
I can't explain that, but maybe it's just your your
everything is just so tight and you're you're kind of
almost stiff, I mean, for Pete's sake, Like I can't
really turn.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
My head in the yeah, exactly, exactly.
Speaker 4 (19:22):
Remember the one time we were doing the video and like,
can you turn your head?
Speaker 3 (19:25):
And I'm like, I could turn my shoulders.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
I could turn my shoulders.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (19:32):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
Well, then I guess there's probably one other if we're
going to add a list of three, so we'll say,
we'll say early teenagers who don't want to accept the
fact that you're Delco's batman. You'll say overheating in the suit.
And then the lack of zipper has to be rough.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
Yeah, basically, you got to make sure that you do
your business before you put in this put the suit.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
On, because it's got to be what how long does
it take you to put the whole get up on.
Speaker 4 (19:54):
We'll say like twenty minutes, half an hour to just
put it on, just to put it on.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Yeah wow.
Speaker 4 (20:00):
But see this is where the learning, the learning curve
like comes into place. So like, over the years, yeah, okay,
I have this big, one one piece suit. Well over
the years, I'm like, okay, what if I do this
and I just have tactical pants from the waist down.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
So there you go. You don't have to worry about
the zipper thing, you.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
Know, especially on what you're doing that day. Exactly do
you find do you find that you you gravitate towards
certain versions of the costume depending on what you're being
asked to do or what time of year it is.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Yeah, yeah, I got I got some suits that.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
Are a little bit more uh even more hotter than usual,
So I usually keep them for like the winter, and
then like the armor, the armor that I've that I've
used in the at the comic book store, I generally
use that. Like if it's like a like a July
summer day and I'm like doing a parade in Prospect
(20:56):
Park or something like that, It's like, yeah, let's let's
do the least he needed suit possible.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
And it's a little bit of relief, it really is.
It makes a difference.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
Well, it just like even when we did the boxing one,
it felt like you could move a lot more in
this Yeah you showed up with yeah, all right. Well,
so you say you're doing parades and stuff as well,
like do you does does that? Do you tend to
get a lot of calls in that of that nature
of like public events or.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
Public events generally generally do I do my my usual?
So we got the aston Community Day Parade, Media Community
Day Parade. Uh, Prospect Park always asked us to do
National Night Out, and by us, I mean the other
you know, people in my cosplay group, and uh, you know,
(21:45):
and then Eric, you get the occasional birthday.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Well what about what about just like messing with people
like you were just like Saturday, late at night, just
go walk the streets.
Speaker 3 (21:55):
Just justice to go people go? Is that in Batman?
Speaker 1 (22:00):
I did that? Honestly.
Speaker 4 (22:02):
I was on vacation down Ocean City, Maryland one time,
and I'm like, I brought the suit with me and
I'm like, I'm want to I'm just gonna suit up
for no reason.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
I'm just gonna walk on the boardwalk.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
That's so good. That must have been fun.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
It was fun. It was fun. And keep in mind,
that was the first time I ever did any month.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
Huh what month?
Speaker 1 (22:24):
I think it was like August.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
We're talking pretty hot. That's yeah at night, Okay at night,
about to say, I'm surprised we're talking.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
Well, and leading up to it, honestly, was was kind
of a big deal because I'm like, I don't know,
I've never done this before.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
Again, I was shy when I was a kid.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
I'm like, this is kind of I don't know, you know,
And I finally pushed myself to do it, and uh,
I went out and you got a couple once you
get past the initial like you got people looking at
you like you like you got two heads. You got
people kind of giving you dirty looks. And then all
the people are just coming up to you and taking
selfies with you, and.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
I do the voice do the same thing.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
You know, and then that just makes everything. I don't
really care what people think.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Yeah, first off, screw truly.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
The people who would give you dirty eyes for you,
you know, dressing up as Batman are miserable people, exactly.
I mean, like, if you're at the point where you're
judging a guy who's making the children of the boardwalk happy,
then yours I got no time for you. Your opinion
means very very little, because obviously they're not here to
just do something cringey. They're here to do something special
(23:31):
for those around you. You were just too shortsighted to
see it, right. So you know, do you do you
find that those moments are consistent with every time you
put on the cap and calend Do you find that.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
They're very rare, very rare? Yeah? And then I generally
it's generally a good response, you know, than than negative.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
I mean, yeah, I yeah, generally it's it's you know,
how about the reverse.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
How about the how about the kids running up and
how happy they are to see you? Is that like
every time for.
Speaker 4 (24:02):
The most part, Yeah, yeah, I mean some of them.
I will admit I have made kids cry before. Oh no,
by the look of me, you know.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
I mean, to be fair, you're like your whole thing
is fear. I mean, I guess you did your job
if they cried. If I'm being honest, you well, and.
Speaker 4 (24:19):
You know, like, I know, I come across like kind
of a kind of an asshole on on those videos.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
Yeah, no, you know when you come off as an.
Speaker 4 (24:29):
Asserson, like I try to be as nice, like when
the kid, you know, like a parent comes up to
me they're holding their child, I'm like, how you doing,
And then as soon as I wait, he's like, I'm like, okay,
I got.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
It, they go find Superman. I'll be right back, right right. Yeah,
You're not an asshole as much as those videos.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
Want you to be. I know that. We all know that, right,
we all know that.
Speaker 6 (24:53):
And to be fair, when you punch Tommy, he swung
it you like six times, that was self defense.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
If you have no idea what we're talking about as
far as that, because this is mostly on YouTube, yeah uh.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
And and those who are listening to the Actual Still podcast.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
If you head over to Comic Universe Delco dot com
or Comic Universe Delco on Instagram. You'll see a lot
of the work that Delco, Batman and I have done
with Comic Universe, and they are by far my favorite videos.
Like every single time you show up, those videos get
exponentially better. And what I love is you never push back.
(25:30):
Like it always gets to a point where I'm more concerned.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
About you than you are.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
I'm like, everybody, break, take a break, let the guy breathe,
get him in front of a fan, and You're just.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
Like, no, I'm fine, I'm fine. I'm like, you're leaking, brother,
You're leaking.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
Yeah, Mike.
Speaker 4 (25:42):
Mike keeps handing me paper tels. I'm like, dude, I
got I got pockets.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Full of paper tels. Good, I'm good, Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (25:52):
But you never say no to an idea. You never
really pushed back.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
I mean you are like that same mentality you had
in the beginning of Batman is who I want to be.
It didn't look the way I wanted to, so I'm
going to push further. It's not like you show up
and say tell me where to go. You're like, well
what about this?
Speaker 3 (26:07):
What about that?
Speaker 2 (26:07):
Like you you also want the finished product, to be
something worth watching.
Speaker 3 (26:12):
Yeah, as simple as a you, as.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
An Instagram video is still comes across as important to you,
which means that the is it speaks to your caliber
as a human. And that's what I I will have
any chance I can get to work with you on
any project, one hundred percent.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
I want you involved because I know that.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
I could say, Delco Batman, I need this done and
I don't have to think about it. It's gonna get
done because Delco Batman is on the case.
Speaker 4 (26:37):
Yeah, I mean I I just yeah, when I was
when when I was younger, we used to do backyard
Me and my buddies used to do backyard wrestling.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
So we used to do the filming and put the
music to.
Speaker 4 (26:48):
It and all that and what you guys do, it
just goes right, you know, it just it falls in
line with all that. And I'm like, finally, I get.
That's why I was telling you the one day. I'm like, dude,
it's amazing being here and you guys just tell me
what to do and I don't have to worry about Wait,
we need to get it from this angle. Wait, we
(27:10):
need to get it from this We got to do that.
It's you guys are a well oiled machine.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Well, let's be honest, that's an Instagram video. When we
start doing other more important things, it will be a
lot of nope. Now we need a wide, Now we
need to sh Now we need tight, Now we need
to we need pickup shots, we need the whole yard.
So yeah, we're gonna get to that point, but not
for Instagram videos.
Speaker 4 (27:29):
Right right, But no, I mean, like I think at
one point I want Buddy. He's like, dude, you got
like Batman, you know, you need to be Wolverine, because
at least with Wolverine you could be you can have
a little bit more fun Batman isn't really like funny
and and and uh you know, Batman like is a
brooding person. And I'm like, yeah, but I'm just I
(27:51):
like to to to goof around and I like to
be to be I tried.
Speaker 1 (27:54):
I like to try and be funny just in general.
Speaker 4 (27:57):
And then once we started doing the videos, same you know,
same people like, yeah, okay, I get it now.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
Yeah, you know it's you make the whole thing kind
of work well.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
And what makes it work so well? And for anybody
who's unaware of.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
Industry terms, you play a great straight man, meaning that
you are the serious person in the video surrounded by knuckleheads.
So you playing it the way that the the Batman
we need you to be.
Speaker 3 (28:24):
Works so well with someone like Mike, who's a walking
cartoon character. Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
The juxtaposition between the two of you is amazing. That's
why that video of you guys playing video games where
you were just riffing, it's so funny because you're still
trying to Like, you kept cracking every once in a while,
which I love, but you were like, I could do that,
but he but you kept trying. You stay in character
when you're in that cow, which is even what it's
(28:50):
hard to do because Mike can make that hard to do.
But you can see that even in moments like that
where it's just riffing, the performance is still important. And
I don't know enough about copy to know how true
that is with everyone I know. I've worked with costplayers
in the past when we've done Fireside, We've had costplayers
at our tables, but a lot of times it's just
taking pictures and you're in a costume.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
We had one cosplayer who was Harley Quinn who kept it.
You know, she would do the dialect in the whole
nine yards. But she was rare, and I found that
to be pretty consistent with the costplayers that I knew.
Most of them were just really into the actual look
and getting the shot right. But as far as the
presentation in you know, in long form content, will say,
(29:32):
it's less important because it really is about the still
instead of the I guess the gravitas of the character
you're trying.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
To play, if that makes sense.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (29:42):
I mean I think this past year when I was
at Fanexpo Philly, I met a Harley Quinn and she
was like in character the.
Speaker 1 (29:50):
Whole I'm like, excuse me, can I get a picture?
She's like, oh my gosh, of course, you know. I'm like, okay, then, yeah,
let's let's do this. If you want to do it,
let's do it.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
Well, does that push you to want to get back
into character? Like is that aspiring to you?
Speaker 2 (30:04):
When you see people like where they don't just wear
the costume, they wear the character.
Speaker 4 (30:09):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, When they do that, it's like, okay, fine,
you want to do it, let's do it.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
Yeah right, yeah, Well I feel like that's the difference.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
And look again, I don't know enough about this community,
so feel free to tell me when I'm wrong. But
I feel like that's what the difference between a good
cost player and a great cost player. Because everyone can
get a good costume, not everyone can embody the character.
Speaker 4 (30:30):
Yeah, I mean, I gotta admit, I have to admit,
you know, it's hard for me to like like the voice.
When I'm in the suit, people come up to me
and ask me for a photo. I'm like, of course, sure,
of course, I'm like, yes, please, let's say.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
You know, like, dude, you got to stay in character.
I'm like I can. I'm having so much fun, you know,
like it's.
Speaker 3 (30:50):
Yeah, I also would like to talk tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
I remember when we were doing the video and you
were doing the books for the week that you were like, dude,
they're doing the voice the entire time is gonna.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
Be a problem.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
I'm like, we could, we could break it up into sections,
we could take a break in between, but I could
see how that would hurt your voice.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
But like, what about like voice changers? Is that something
you ever thought about.
Speaker 4 (31:10):
I looked into that there is a company that makes
like a like a it's a throat mic and then
it runs down your suit and then you got a
little JBL speaker connected to your utility belt.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
Only problem is it's just it's like, I don't know.
Speaker 4 (31:25):
I'm like, if I'm in public, you know, the speaker
is only so big, and you know you're you're you're
fighting against all the the you know, everything around you.
I just didn't see it really worth spending the money.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
What's that?
Speaker 2 (31:43):
I mean, that's fair, it being not being cheaps one thing,
But isn't that also true with your own voice? Yeah,
like you're still competing with everybody.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
Help.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 3 (31:53):
So not to push you into the thing that's not cheap,
I'm just saying, yeah.
Speaker 4 (31:59):
There's just so many things that you could There's so
many things you can spend money on with this cost,
with this hobby.
Speaker 1 (32:08):
I just like certain things.
Speaker 4 (32:10):
I'm like, Okay, I don't necessarily think that's a whole
that's not necessary at least for me, not not right
now at least. Plus on top of all of that,
it's just another thing that I have to figure out,
on top of everything else that I got to put
on my hold on. Let me get under my shirt,
I gotta run the throat mic up and then I
(32:31):
got to put the thing on, make sure it's you know,
it's a lot.
Speaker 3 (32:34):
No, it's a lot.
Speaker 2 (32:35):
I watch you get get into uh into character, We'll say,
and it's a it's a process. Yeah, I let you
usually show up half dressed. You're usually like half in
the suit when you get there.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
Yeah, it's the first video.
Speaker 4 (32:48):
The first time I walk in, I'm like, all right,
I'm gonna suit up outside in the truck, and then
I'm gonna walk in.
Speaker 1 (32:53):
By the third or fourth video, I'm like, hey, guys, alrighty.
Speaker 3 (32:59):
I'll give you a second. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
Well, let's let's talk about Batman for a second, because
let's let's round you out as a Batman fan. Then,
so let's let's first off, let's do some basics, some
easy ones. Let's do your hierarchy of Batman actors. Who's
who's the number one Batman actor for you in all media?
This doesn't have to be like like a lot of
people will go, well, Kevin Conroy is my favorite, but
I would normally I think Kevin Conroy is allowed to
(33:24):
be in the list.
Speaker 4 (33:25):
I think Kevin Conroy probably plays the best, the best
version of Batman.
Speaker 1 (33:31):
Yeah, I grew up with Michael Keaton.
Speaker 4 (33:34):
H you know, but yeah, I love the cartoon, the
animated series that was the best, you know, But I
as a cos player, I kind of take certain points
from all of.
Speaker 1 (33:49):
Them, you know, and it's just kind of make it
my own.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
Well, then let's let's talk about recent Batman then, because
he's so I mean, he's not He's not entirely unique,
but he is unique. When you think about all of
the people who play Batman so far, Robert Pattinson's Batman's
very different.
Speaker 3 (34:04):
So what do you think you pulled from him?
Speaker 4 (34:07):
The tactical the tactical look, you know, he it looks
like he's got like a flight suit. All right, Well
I have tactical pants. I can make that work. That's
that's you know, the armor, my black armor. That it
all kind of works works, It kind of plays into it.
I I you know, I'm I was never really too
crazy about his cow But again, the I love the
(34:30):
tactical aspect of it and that, you know that that works.
Speaker 1 (34:35):
I love the movie.
Speaker 4 (34:36):
The movie kind of more like comic driven, you know,
the long the Long Halloween.
Speaker 1 (34:42):
That's what it is, right.
Speaker 2 (34:43):
With with with the well, it's not really the long Halloween.
But no, but I get what you mean. You mean, yes,
the more detective Riddler story exactly that that movie turned
out to be. The interesting thing about that cow I
feel like they were just trying to make a realistic.
Speaker 3 (35:01):
Version of Adam West's.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
Yeah, So if you look at the two together, it's
very much an Adam West design, just in the dark
black that you would expect a standard design to be,
which I kind of like because I feel like that
costume pulled a lot from everybody, and I feel like
the New Superman did the same thing. I feel like
so many aspects of that costume were pulled from different elements,
like the lines in the suit.
Speaker 3 (35:21):
Yea so very new fifty twoish. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
Is there a version of Batman you haven't done yet
that you want to?
Speaker 4 (35:30):
Well, I mean just recently, I just got a gray
muscle suit from Reeves Effects. And I always said that
I wanted to do my design but black with a
gold trim. I never really had that, you know, the
way I wanted it plus on, like a lighter gray
(35:51):
muscle suit. So that was the latest one that I did,
and that was the one that's always escaped to me
over the years.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
So about blue gray.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
I tried. I did that once. It didn't last very long.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
Okay, yeah, why why so? Because it's such a big topic.
Good debate with James Gun right now and how he
wants his Batman to look and everybody wants that, but
he's like, it kind of looks weird on film.
Speaker 4 (36:15):
I think for me, it's just like my style is
I just I think I I look a lot better
with like black, dark gray, you know, the bright the
bright blue, the you know. I don't know, it's just
I'm not I'm not knocking it by any means. It's
just for me when I'm shooted up from head to
(36:38):
toe in black with the cow and the you know,
in the arm or I'm like, I like that.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
It looks good to me.
Speaker 3 (36:45):
What about U? What about white eyes?
Speaker 1 (36:48):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (36:49):
Yeah, I would love to do white eyes because that
way it would it would relieve me from putting on
I make up every time.
Speaker 2 (36:55):
Although it is awesome when you take off that cow
and you look like an yeah singer, there.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
Is some aspects of that.
Speaker 2 (37:02):
Yeah, I just get a real MOPy looking version of you,
just like real dramatic light.
Speaker 1 (37:07):
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (37:10):
There's just something funny about the idea of every time
Batman is about to go out and do something serious,
he has to run into the bathroom real quick.
Speaker 3 (37:15):
Hold on, hold on, let me just apply my makeup.
Speaker 4 (37:19):
Yeah, I'm asking my girlfriend. I'm like, you know, like,
you know, makeup remover. Everything that I'm doing is burning
my eyes.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
Oh no, you've ever like laid down after like having
that on your face and staining your pillow?
Speaker 3 (37:31):
Have you? No, you forget to take that off.
Speaker 2 (37:35):
The reason I ask is my dad's in media and
he has to wear stage makeup. Yeah, and a lot
of times I'll come home and forget about it and
then all of sudden you look at the pillow and
you're like, oh my god, what happened?
Speaker 1 (37:45):
L Yeah.
Speaker 4 (37:47):
Usually when I when I get out of the suit,
the first thing that I need is food because I
just sweat.
Speaker 1 (37:53):
You know.
Speaker 4 (37:54):
No, I usually assume I don't go to sleep immediately
after I get out of the sair just you know.
Fun The funny part is like when we're out, like
when the group of us are out and afterwards like, hey,
let's go grab some food and I completely forgot. That's
when I forget and we're like walking into Applebee's or whatever.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
And you look like an Emo singer.
Speaker 1 (38:16):
Yeah, I'm like, I have to explain myself now.
Speaker 2 (38:19):
Which is probably makes you look even crazier, Like I'm
sorry about this, I'm Batman.
Speaker 1 (38:23):
Yeah right, sure you are sure?
Speaker 3 (38:26):
All right pal? Anyway you're getting it to go right? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (38:32):
All right.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
Well let's say we already we talked about your the
favorite of the Batman actors. But let's go ahead, and
I'm a I'm feeling Batman Forever is number one, But
what what is our top three Batman movies?
Speaker 4 (38:43):
No, I mean back like when I it's just it
was thirteen years old.
Speaker 1 (38:49):
I gets just as came out, you know.
Speaker 4 (38:51):
I honestly I love the original Batman eighty nine, even
though it's not exactly comic accurate. You know, they kind of,
you know, deviated, but it was the first movie that
they made that's like not campy, but I love I
really like Ben Affleck's version because he's brooding.
Speaker 1 (39:13):
It's like that Dark Knight Return style.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
You said that because he doesn't get nearly enough credit.
He is not the problem with those movies. People just
hated the idea that it was Ben Affleck, and it's
like he's actually really good and I would argue maybe
the best Batman scene on film with that warehouse scene.
Oh yeah, that warehouse scene is incredible. The movie is
not great, but that scene is something special. And he
(39:36):
he's not my lead, he's like people make fun of
the way his voice sounds, and people like even if
there's a one percent chance that he's a like, all
of that feels very Batman to me.
Speaker 3 (39:44):
I don't. I don't know why I will too, whatever,
I completely agree.
Speaker 2 (39:48):
I think Ben Affleck is way overheated in a role
that he actually was one of the shining lights in
a bad movie.
Speaker 4 (39:55):
Yeah well, hey, remember, I mean we're going back now.
I remember seeing videos when Michael Keaton first got got
cast as Batman, be like, mister mom, are you kidding me?
Like seriously? And then he did it and everyone's like,
oh my gosh, he's the great you.
Speaker 3 (40:11):
Know, he's oh yeah, he did do the same thing.
Speaker 2 (40:15):
Toby maguire remember, oh my god, the kid from Pleasantville.
Yeah right, yeah, right, yeah, he's still so many of
our Peter Parker's.
Speaker 1 (40:23):
Yeah yeah, and he knocked it out the park.
Speaker 3 (40:25):
All right, what's so, what's your three? Then?
Speaker 1 (40:28):
Three best movie Batman?
Speaker 3 (40:29):
Three Best Batman movies. What's the hierarchy?
Speaker 4 (40:31):
Uh? I feel like, no matter what I say, I'm
going to piss someone off.
Speaker 3 (40:37):
But that's what we do here.
Speaker 2 (40:39):
Are going to agree with you, and they just hit
the thumbs up button. Only the people who met the
people who type usually have a problem.
Speaker 4 (40:45):
I mean, okay, So I mean, right off the cuff,
I'm just gonna say, you know, Mike, my top three
are gonna be probably we'll say eighty nine Batman, Nolan's
The Dark Night, and then Batman v.
Speaker 1 (41:03):
Superman.
Speaker 3 (41:04):
Wow, you would put that at three.
Speaker 1 (41:06):
Because I like crazy the clash.
Speaker 2 (41:09):
Yeah, well, look at it. I'm not even typing and
I'm pissed off.
Speaker 3 (41:12):
No, I'm kidding now, I know.
Speaker 2 (41:16):
I get that I seeing them fight on screen, especially
that the scene where the Kryptonite is wearing off as
he's passing Superman and his face stops moving and Henry
cavill Is just is a gem. So there's so much
great about that movie that it's okay to forgive the
script for some of it. But the fact that you
have to watch an extra forty five minutes for the
(41:36):
script to make sense drives me up a.
Speaker 4 (41:38):
While that, Yeah, it's such a shame because I remember
I watched I watched Zack Snyder's Justice League, and I'm like, granted,
this movie he's like over three hours long, but it
is so much better than the original.
Speaker 2 (41:51):
Yes, it's a great, Yeah, no question about that, and
that a lot of that has to come do with
uh oh, what's his name?
Speaker 3 (41:58):
The director?
Speaker 1 (42:00):
I forget, Josh Whedon.
Speaker 2 (42:01):
Yes, yeah, when Whedon came in, he had his own
idea on what it was, and as we heard from
Ray Parker and a bunch of the other people who
were a part of that, that there was a lot
of tumultuous you know, personalities will say, yeah, not Apparently
he was making fun of the original movie a lot
with Zack Snyder's because I mean, it must have been
weird to get there and see three hours worth of
(42:22):
footage and then have to cut that down into an
hour and a half. But apparently regardless of that, You're
absolutely right, the Snyder cut is really good. It bloated,
and it's long, and it should be a two parter.
But yeah, past that, it is very well done and
it is a really good epic.
Speaker 3 (42:40):
So I'm with you on that. I am happy he's
not in charge anymore.
Speaker 2 (42:44):
Yeah, as much as I liked that movie, as much
as I like three hundred, I don't think he's at
his best when he has to work on scripts.
Speaker 3 (42:52):
He doesn't have to work on a script.
Speaker 2 (42:53):
When he's just given something and said, make your version
of this, he tends to do a good job. Three
hundreds outstanding. I like the Watchman movie. I know a
lot of people don't, but I think the Watchman movie
is very good. But if he had to write his
version of that, probably not so much. So Resent Red
Rebel Moon, nobody cared about everyone. Why would I not
just watch Star.
Speaker 1 (43:10):
Wars right exactly?
Speaker 3 (43:12):
So I'm with you there.
Speaker 2 (43:13):
I don't think i'd give it number three, though, I
think i'd have to put The Batman at number three.
I'm with you on the first two. But I think
The Batman is a better movie all around. Yeah, oh yeah, yeah,
but I get I get your point. I also think
that Batman Forever is a little overheted as well. I
don't think Val Kilmer is the best Batman, but I
(43:35):
love him as Bruce Wayne. I think he's Yeah, I
think he's a great Bruce Wayne.
Speaker 4 (43:39):
And with like even with George Clooney, even though as
abismo as that was, I feel like he did.
Speaker 1 (43:46):
He didn't do a horrible job as Bruce Wayne.
Speaker 2 (43:48):
He was just George Clooney though. Yeah, he just he
just stayed George Clooney the whole time. Yeah, didn't really
switch much up. He was like Batperson. Yeah, I still
felt like it was on Gray's Anatomy or what was
what was the E R E R Anatomy? All right, Well,
(44:10):
so we we know that, you know, obviously Batman and
Will Remeet a lot to you. We know that there's
a Punisher cosplay that exists, but we haven't seen it much.
What does the future look like for for Delco Batman?
Speaker 1 (44:21):
Like?
Speaker 3 (44:21):
What what are some dream things you would love to do?
Speaker 1 (44:26):
I want to I want to go to more comic cons.
Speaker 4 (44:29):
Yeah, my biggest thing is I want to I want
to make it out to uh cosplay. I think it's
called Cosplay World Richmond, Virginia or or Steel City Con
in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 1 (44:44):
I want to. I want to go to more.
Speaker 4 (44:45):
Comic cons and meet all these people that I've been
talking to on Instagram and I know I have yet
to meet. That's that's my biggest thing. I want to
meet all these these are my people. Like it's like
when I go to a con, I see all these people,
perfect stranger. You don't even know who this person is,
but across the room you pointed him, he points back
at you, and you're just like yeah, because.
Speaker 2 (45:05):
You're in a world together that very few people understand
unless she's actually put on the suit.
Speaker 3 (45:10):
Yeah, no, I get that. I get that.
Speaker 2 (45:12):
I wish there were cosplayers for bigger people. I have
like two choices.
Speaker 5 (45:18):
I got like the dude, I could be silent Bob maybe,
but yeah, it is something that I always that I
always admired, especially when people wear the character.
Speaker 3 (45:33):
I think.
Speaker 2 (45:34):
I think I'm gonna stick with that. That's saying because
I like it when actors do the same thing. Like
I like when an actor is like, nope, that I
am known as this character and I will ride those
rails for as long as people will have me as
that character.
Speaker 1 (45:46):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (45:47):
Like I hate when people are like, I don't want
to be pigeon held and just only seen is that
one thing? It's like, why why would you not want
to leave your mark on such an iconic aspect of
pop culture?
Speaker 1 (45:57):
Right?
Speaker 3 (45:58):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (45:59):
Seriously?
Speaker 3 (46:00):
Yeah? All right?
Speaker 2 (46:01):
Well, so with a with more cons in your future,
with more meetups other than Batman, Wolverine and Punisher. Is
there anybody else that we might see you as one
of these days? Is there any dream costplays down the road?
Like if you had an unlimited amount of money, an
endless bank account, or a credit card that you never
had to pay back, what would you get?
Speaker 4 (46:23):
Well, I've been told a couple of times that I
would I would do a good judged read.
Speaker 3 (46:29):
That's a good I think you would make a good judgment. Yeah,
I think you would make a good judgement.
Speaker 1 (46:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (46:34):
To be honest, I think you could do a good
Red Hood. I think yeah.
Speaker 2 (46:36):
I mean, I think there's a plenty of characters that
you could pull off very well. It's just and I
don't know, is that an aspect of cosplay where you
just kind of gravitate to a character and then you
just perfect that character or is it like you could
tell for me, you know, make one magic the gathering deck,
it turns into fifteen right?
Speaker 1 (46:54):
Right?
Speaker 3 (46:55):
Is that the same?
Speaker 2 (46:56):
Is that like do you ever find the itch to
wear a different costume? Or is it always like how
do I make Batman better?
Speaker 4 (47:03):
It's usually just how do I I'm always I am
always tinkering with stuff. It's like you're It's almost like
you can ask any cosplayer, it's kind of like you are.
I feel like you are never one hundred percent happy
with you know, if you're making it yourself, at least,
like this Wolverine suit that I have. I've built that
(47:26):
last I started it last September. I finished it in December,
and I'm still last week, I was still adjusting it
and working on it. And so it's always I am
always thinking of ways to either either improve the suit.
Speaker 1 (47:45):
Make it easier on me, make it more comfortable.
Speaker 3 (47:50):
You know, Oh no, I will.
Speaker 2 (47:52):
And the reason I like the way that you're saying that,
I'm actually trying to look up a quote real quick
because you made me think of something.
Speaker 3 (47:58):
Who is the one who's said it.
Speaker 2 (48:01):
Leonardo da Vinci said that art is never finished, only abandoned.
Speaker 1 (48:05):
Yeah, and I think that.
Speaker 2 (48:07):
I think that's very true for costplayers. And I think
that's the difference again between wearing the character versus wearing
the costume. I think there are those and I think
that's the difference also with someone who wants to tinker
and be good at being Batman versus have a wardrobe
of characters to select from, because it's more about the
person behind the cow than you, Like, I mean, just
to be transparent, we cut this if you don't really
(48:29):
want to say this part. But you didn't want me
to use your name because of the gravitas of the
cape and cow. And I love that, Like I love
the idea that you want the mystery to stay alive
because you are Delco Batman.
Speaker 3 (48:41):
You were not the face behind the cow.
Speaker 1 (48:43):
You were exactly and I love that.
Speaker 2 (48:45):
And I think that's what makes you an artist verst
Like I mean, I hate to say versus costpier because
I believe costplayers are artists, but.
Speaker 3 (48:51):
I think there's a difference between the two, if that
makes sense.
Speaker 1 (48:54):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean, I just I don't know.
I like tinkering with stuff.
Speaker 3 (49:00):
I do.
Speaker 4 (49:01):
I you know, even even with the cosplay group, Cap
was was having some issues with his costume and and
I'm like, look, if I can help you out in
any way, that I will. My one buddy is actually
starting a Rocket Raccoon cosplay.
Speaker 1 (49:15):
So I'm supposed to.
Speaker 7 (49:16):
Be you can be group what's that you're gonna be grouped?
I don't know if I'm gonna well you know what
I mean, just saying you just opened up a can
of worms.
Speaker 3 (49:28):
Now it's an option.
Speaker 4 (49:31):
Well, the funny part is he was he was Robin
to me a couple of years ago, so that would
actually make sense if I'm his group.
Speaker 3 (49:40):
You know that, so well, so how does that work then?
With like I know you and Delco Deadpool are closed.
Speaker 2 (49:47):
Yeah, when you know that he's going to a con,
do you still show up as Batman or do you go, Oh,
I gotta be Wolverine because his depole's there.
Speaker 4 (49:54):
It depends, you know, if if me and Deadpool go together,
usually I want to do w but like the best
solution to that is if it's a two con day,
I'll do dead Pool and Wolverine, like say Saturday, and
then Sunday I'm like, look, I have to be Batman,
So Sunday I'll do Batman. And now that we have
(50:16):
a dead Pool Batman comic crossover, it might you know,
make a little bit more sense.
Speaker 2 (50:21):
Yeah, well, yeah, we're gonna see you both again, and
I know I'm going to see you plenty of times,
but I definitely November is right around the corner. We
gotta we gotta do a sequel to Too Absolutely to you.
Speaker 3 (50:34):
That was such a funny video.
Speaker 2 (50:36):
Yeah, but I'm actually really excited for a punisher video.
I'm gonna keep pushing that. You can get sick of
me saying, guess you brought that punishing vest we can.
Speaker 1 (50:45):
I mean, it's it's hanging up right around the corner, so.
Speaker 3 (50:48):
You gonna be okay, not showing that you're gonna be
okay outside of a.
Speaker 1 (50:51):
Cow, I guess.
Speaker 4 (50:53):
So yeah, I have to let my let my beer.
It's it's yeah. The one thing I will say, it's
like with Wolverine Batman. See I want to go full
blown mottin chops with Wolverine. But it's like Halloween time
comes around and it's like, Okay, I got a trunk
or tree as Batman Saturday, and then I have this
as Wolverine Sunday. It's like, okay, well Batman does not
(51:15):
have motton chops.
Speaker 2 (51:16):
Yeah, so it is what it is, and Batman wins
out when when you have to make the choice, it's
gonna be Batman.
Speaker 3 (51:22):
Of course, Batman versus Wolverine. Who wins.
Speaker 1 (51:28):
That's a tough one, honestly.
Speaker 4 (51:29):
I mean Wolverine heels, you know, Batman is smart, and
he's got all the gadgets, and he's rich.
Speaker 1 (51:36):
But I don't know. I honestly don't know how the
answer to that one.
Speaker 3 (51:39):
I feel like I feel like Wolverine takes it over time.
Speaker 2 (51:41):
Yeah, I feel like Batman eventually gets tired and Wolverine wins.
Speaker 1 (51:45):
He's only human.
Speaker 2 (51:46):
I feel it's inevitable. I think, actually, bat in the
Sun have you ever seen them? I did Superpower beat Down.
They they that the Batman Wolverine one of the first
ones they did. I thought was a really good version
of he thought he had Batman thought he was a
Wolverine out and then that's when he died. He's like,
well that sounds about right that that see. Oh, by
the way, spoiler alert for a really old video.
Speaker 3 (52:07):
But yeah, right right right, all right.
Speaker 2 (52:10):
Well, I mean I feel as though that we we
got to get you on one more time, at.
Speaker 3 (52:15):
The very least with uh with the the.
Speaker 2 (52:17):
Other cow on. We'll do a Wolverine centric one. But well,
we got more Comic Universe videos. You and I have
more things that we were talking about doing, so we've
got some cool things in the works. Uh, And I believe,
I believe we can get you into those other cons too. Now,
the moment you said that, my my wheel started turning
(52:38):
and I started texting people. So I want to see
what I can do about some of these other con things.
Speaker 3 (52:43):
But I want to thank you for for your time today.
I want to thank you for coming on, especially for
the cow and sitting in the heat. I hope you
have multiple fans on you.
Speaker 1 (52:52):
That's fine, that's all good.
Speaker 3 (52:54):
Yeah, no leaking. It was very impressive. No leaking on
this one.
Speaker 1 (52:57):
No leaking.
Speaker 4 (52:57):
Yeah, well, you know what, it's a two piece so
or it's you know, I could turn my head.
Speaker 2 (53:02):
That's amazing. I'm so proud, right do uh do me
a favorite. Tell everybody where they can find you.
Speaker 1 (53:08):
Uh, Don'tko Batman on Instagram and Facebook.
Speaker 3 (53:11):
Dolco Batman Instagram, Facebook, anywhere else.
Speaker 1 (53:14):
Now that's about it.
Speaker 4 (53:15):
I don't have threads or TikTok or anything like that.
Speaker 3 (53:18):
So well we might get we might get you TikTok
if we start making more videos.
Speaker 1 (53:22):
Yeah, you know, yeah, it's it's tough to keep. Let's
let look, I made the mistake.
Speaker 4 (53:30):
I I wanted to you know, don'co Batman, Okay, I
kind of I kind of just isolated myself to that,
and then it's like on Instagram, it's like, oh, well
I want I could do Punisher Wolverine. But then I'm like,
maybe I'm overthinking it, but like how why would I
have Wolverine pictures on a Delco Batman page? So then
(53:53):
I created Delco Wolverine and then I realized how.
Speaker 1 (53:57):
I got multiple Yeah, so I'm like this, this sucks.
Speaker 2 (54:03):
So yeah, and you can't really go Delco Batman slash Wolverine.
Speaker 3 (54:07):
Yeah, it's way too Batverine, Like that doesn't right right, Yeah,
that doesn't work. So I get it. I get it.
Speaker 2 (54:14):
Things things to sort out. But this was awesome. We
will definitely have to do this again.
Speaker 1 (54:19):
Yes, thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (54:21):
And uh yeah, I will see you at the store.
You can find the show at that comic podcast. If
you're listening to this, please head over to YouTube give
us a subscription there. That's where we are trying to
grow the most.
Speaker 3 (54:31):
Right now. Uh so comment, like.
Speaker 2 (54:33):
All the jazz that everybody who you follow tells you
to do all the time, If you don't mind doing
all that same stuff for us, that'd be great. Go
look up Delco Batman, Go check out Creative Cosplay, take
a take a look and support him over there as well.
Let's get him another spread of Wolverine and then I
want to see a publisher.
Speaker 1 (54:51):
There we go. It'll happen
Speaker 4 (55:00):
That that that, that's no
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