Full Lightning McQueen Set!

Hey y'all, happy 9/5 day! KA-CHOW indeed... Okay, let me explain this though. 😂

For those that don't know, I'm a bit of a gear-head, and I think my interest for cars was sparked by, well, CARS in 2006. I thought Lightning McQueen was the absolute coolest: I even fought my dad and grandparents on letting me get a CARS rolling backpack in first grade as opposed to something pink and "made for girls."

Anyways, I've always loved Pixar and I maintained that love for CARS as I grew up: primarily out of appreciation for how it gave me one of my great loves (automotive stuff) from an early age, and also just because it's such a cute movie.

MUCH later in life, I started following NASCAR, and I even wanted to become a commentator on the track. That didn't happen, but my interest in it inspired THIS cosplay: LIGHTNING MCQUEEN as a NASCAR driver!

I made this whole thing myself. The helmet is a used motorcycle helmet that started its life as a white, matte design with butterfly stickers on the back and sides (the sheer amount of sanding I had to do...) Then I painted on details and added some vinyl stickers made by my good friend Brady.

The suit was probably one of my first "big" cosplay purchases: I had to order it from a Go-Kart store downtown, and I remember how much it hurt dropping the $100 that I had saved up for it. I then used my iPad to create all the little logos based off renderings of LMQ I found on google, I printed them on transfer paper, and used an iron for the first time to apply all my little sponsorship decals all over the suit. I even ironed the appliqué onto the hat!

While I eventually lost interest in NASCAR as a sport (big changes to the racing package + a really unpleasant experience at the first and only race I ever went to), this cosplay remains one of my favorites in a weird way.

Look, I know this isn't the most "exciting" cosplay. It's based on a now 18-year old kids' movie, I have "BUMPER OINTMENT" emblazoned on my chest, and I'm covered from head to toe in a fire-retardant suit. But it IS one of those cosplays that 100% just comes from love. This was just "I need to do this for me," with no consideration for whether or not it would get likes or follows or shares, and there's so little of that for ANY content creator these days.

I really hope you guys like this one. It's dorky, it's goofy, it's silly, and more than a little juvenile, but above all: I can tell you this one is 100% me. The smile in all these photos is REAL, and I'm excited to share these (and this story) with all of you. :)

KA-CHOW! ⚡️