In Marvel Comics, Ghost Rider is a badass character with a bone to pick with the sinning criminals he seeks out daily, and in a stunning new cosplay, Ghost Rider's impossible flaming skull comes to life in the most comic-accurate way imaginable!
Recently posted on Instagram by Frank Jenks (@doctor_mccoy_bones), this cosplayer has been fine-tuning his Ghost Rider design for some time now, with this iteration - in collaboration with photographer Jordan Savage (@savag3ly) - nailing the transition into live-action perfectly.
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Also cosplaying as the Marvel villain Baron Zemo, Frank has found success dressing as Dr. McCoy from Star Trek fame, making this Ghost Rider costume an ambitious standout piece that puts Frank on a whole other level, creatively.
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A character who's had more than a few people hold the mantle of the Spirit of Vengeance - most famously by the current All-Rider Robbie Reyes and the recently returned Johnny Blaze - Ghost Riders almost always share a similar visual motif regardless of who its host is: their flaming skull. Burning bright when using Ghost Rider's patented Penance Stare, when belching out an intense fire attack, or when lighting the way as an inextinguishable torch, the visual of Ghost Rider's head constantly up in flames is an iconic part of his character design, one that makes it extremely difficult to mimic in real life.
Photographed at sunset while on his signature all-black motorcycle, Frank's Ghost Rider sits with a chain wrapped around his fist and a hand on the throttle, ready and waiting for the next enemy to cross him so that he can bash their face in. Wearing a leather jacket with spiked shoulder pads, the added flames enveloping Ghost Rider's tires as well as the napalm swallowing his bleached skull ensures this costume pulls off a look that doesn't always work in the cosplay space. As the caption below the photo says, Ghost Rider cosplays almost always come out looking terrible when trying to design his always-moving flames, as his fire accents and explosive powers are so hard to fake in a real-world setting. But with the general sculpting of the fire engulfing Frank's skull mask, perfect LED placement and coloring of the flames, and some choice editing by Jordan Savage, this epic Ghost Rider cosplay succeeds on levels that not many in the cosplay community can reach.
So while Ghost Rider doesn't get as much cosplay love compared to other Marvel heroes like Spider-Man or the X-Men - mostly because of how hard it is to get his fiery look just right - Frank finds a way to jump clear over that creative hurdle and make it look easy. Hopefully, this cosplay inspires more Ghost Rider designs in the future, so be sure to put a follow on Frank Jenks (@doctor_mccoy_bones) to see what he comes up with for his next homemade design!
Source: @doctor_mccoy_bones