#FeatureFriday with Toronto Dadpool

I love everything about Toronto Dadpool. He's so creative, cospositive, and supportive of everyone in the community. This interview is a must read!!

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How and when did you get into cosplay?
My son started "cosplay" back when How to Train Your Dragon came out. He made a costume of Toothless. He loved it. Later we acquired a TASM2 Spider-man costume and he wore it to Toronto Comicon 2015. We stopped to watch Andre the cosplayer that does Deadpool.  He was sitting on the ground drawing. He called my son over to come sit with him while he sketched pictures and posed for pics. My son sat with him for close to 2 hours. In that time so many people and cosplayers came over and had pictures with the both of them. I saw how much fun he was having and I was thinking how much fun I might have if I did the same thing.

We went to Toycon in Oakville and I bought a Deadpool mask. I wore it around the con and actually had people comment and got a few pics with people. It WAS fun!  I was hooked! I searched for a Deadpool costume and was not successful. My local party store was selling morph suits, so I bought a plain red one. A few trips to Dollarama and the party store later, I had accessories that brought the whole costume together! The costume is still a work in progress. I have recently placed an order for a Deadpool suit, so by FanExpo I am hoping it arrives.

How did you come up with your cosplay name?
After watching MANY BatDad videos, I fell in love with this idea. I would walk around and in the Batman voice say "I'm Batdad!" while wearing my batman hoodie.   My son said "You can't do that, it's already done by someone..." That's when he came up with DADpool... It was brilliant and I love Deadpool. I was hooked right away. The birth of Dadpool took fruition... The rest is history!

What do you do when you're not in cosplay or geeking out?
My alter ego's job is Health and safety supervisor at UPS and also owner and operator of Vinyl By Trevor. I make stickers, apparel, gifts and all things vinyl. Dadpool also loves to put maximum effort into his naps in the day.

How do you choose your next cosplay?
Now that I'll have a Dadpool suit, the plain red suit will become other "red" heroes.  I'm thinking Flash maybe next??? Maybe a cross over with Deadpool??? Elvispool is a possibility. Something will speak to me I'm sure.

Who is your cosplay idol/inspiration?
​My son (@spider_seebs) is my number 1 inspiration. To see him interact with kids when he is Spider-man is nothing short of amazing. Kids, teens AND adults will run, not walk, up to him and hug him and take pictures with him. He LOVES what he does. He has so much fun and craves the next cosplay experience. He encourages me to put myself out there and helps me when I need it. Costume fixes are his specialty...

​What cosplay(s) are you working on right now?
Still Dadpool. LOL
Will be Dadpool for quite a while as I love the costume.

What is your dream cosplay?
Dream cosplay... hmmmmm... something that will hide my "Dadpool" belly? Just kidding. I like the idea of Ironman. Just seems like a very expensive costume. But it's a dream, so yeah... Ironman! With all the working electronics and powered mask, like Brampton Ironman's.

What is a random fun fact about you as a cosplayer or one of your cosplays?
I love to show up with Spidey and just walk around to see people's reaction. I will stand up for any cosplayer being harassed.  

Do you have any cosplay or convention pet peeves?
By far my BIGGEST pet peeve is the civilians that insist on body shaming. I have a larger belly and since I'm wearing a costume that "shows all", it's hard to hide it. When Spidey and I go out, I will get at least 3-4 haters. I will play it off by saying "Dadpool had a few too many chiminchangas", but it does hurt. I remain positive by thinking of the kids that enjoy getting pictures with us and interact with us. I guess there will always be the haters... But I will continue to put myself out there for the kids.

Do you have any horror stories or mistakes you've made that others can learn from?
Don't let the haters get in your head... I got a little frustrated once and actually had words with one hater. It was the worse thing I could have done and ruined my day.
Don't do it!! Don't sink to their level. Keep enjoying what you do. COSPLAY DOESN'T HAVE A SIZE, RACE, SEX OR SKILL LEVEL.... Cosplay is about loving what you do and showing support for others who share the same passion!!!!

Do you have anything else you want to say, or add to this interview?
Just love what you do... Support those who also share the love of cosplay! Build each other up and stop those who want to tear others down. Thank you for the opportunity to have a say. This is a fantastic idea!!

Where can we find you on all things social?
I'm on Instagram - @toronto_dadpool

Photos for this interview provided by Ailes Noires Cosplay Photography and OOC Photography.

What an amazing person! We really need more cospositivity in the community and I just ADORE the photos he sent me for this interview!!!!

More features every Friday! I'm currently looking to interview photographers, feature pages, and even cosplayer handlers. If you know anyone, link them in the comments!

​*kiss kiss*