Artists have changed Robin’s visual aesthetics many times over the years and few characters needed the changes as badly as he did. By comparing two different costumes, one of his early ones from the 1940s, to his appearance in the recent Young Justice cartoon, we can see that no character is beyond redemption with some changes to his costume. Both designs are of the same hero, using some of the same costume elements; however each costume tells a very different story about the character.

Classic Robin Costume Elements

Pretend that you have never seen Robin before and look at this image of his classic look from the early days of the character’s conception.

• Muscular body
• Bright green, red, and yellow color scheme
• Bland figure 8 mask
• No pants
• Elf boots
• Fluttering cape

What Went Wrong with Robin?

This combination of visual elements turns Robin into a visual train wreck. His muscular body brings forth a highly masculine appearance, yet the bright green, red, and yellow, which are all equally prominent in his outfit, have a very childish, nursery rhyme appeal to them. Is he a man with super strength who can go toe to toe with Superman, or is he a child playing in the backyard? It’s difficult to tell with this image.

His mask lacks defining shape, hindering any real means of expression on his face and looks more like an afterthought than an element woven into the construction of his costume.  An absence of pants adds further confusion by bringing too much focus to his legs and giving the impression that he’s an Olympic swimmer, rather than a superhero. His elf-esque boots look unrestrained and ready to flop off at any moment, while the cape fluttering behind him has a bolder look than Robin himself.  Robin looks so confused that it’s unclear whether he’s going to enter a strong man contest, play with some action figures, go for a swim, make toys for Santa Claus, or get sucked away by his cape.

New Robin Costume Elements

Now compare that to a new redesign for Robin’s look from the Young Justice cartoon.

• Athletic body
• Dark red and black dominant colors with yellow accent
• Face-shaping eye mask
• Pants
• Functional looking boots and accessories
• Dormant cape

What Changes Made Robin Look Different?

You’ll notice that this Robin keeps some of the same elements and seems to have a more cartoonish shape, yet the tone creates a more serious appearance. So, what happened? First, Robin’s body shape has changed. He has an athletic, slender appearance that gives him the look of an agile gymnast, rather than that of a bodybuilder. Robin keeps the red color scheme, but darkening the shade makes a world of difference and black replaces the green, which meshes with the red, rather than creating conflict. All of which consolidates his age and abilities. He’s a teenager. He doesn’t have super strength and he’s probably pretty nimble.

The eye mask has been reshaped to frame and fit Robin’s face. Notice the use of pointed edges on the bottom, which encourage eye movement to the rest of the face. The white parts of the eyes also compose a larger portion of the mask, giving him a more expressive face. His skin-tight pants draw no attention to his legs and his boots have a secure and realistic appearance. Tiny details to his accessories, like the addition of small pouches to his belt and cosmetic changes to his gloves, all combine together to give his costume a functional look. His cape no longer pulls attention away from the rest of the costume and resigns itself to a supportive role in his outfit.

This illustration of change shows that a hero can present a much different image to people by reconstructing the visuals of his costume. Remember that a hero is the conduit through which the story is told and your audience needs to get pulled into the message of the story in a glance. Using a distracting costume can confuse your audience about your hero before they’ve given your character a chance, but by reshaping the outfit to fit the story you want to tell, even a mess like Robin can be changed!

This article is by Ryan Heuer of BuySuperheroCostumes.com, a place where men and women can find great superhero costumes, from Robin to Rorschach.  

These six paintings were done by Andreas Rocha, Dan Milligan, Dan Milligan, Howard Lyon, Dan Milligan again and Alp Atiner.

1. Keep it functional. When a costume doesn’t feel practical, it will probably make the character seem less realistic and/or competent. For example, if your hero wears a large cape, it’d be hard to believe that he never gets caught on anything. And if it doesn’t, the character may come off as a Mary Sue.

2. Be bold. Don’t be afraid to let your creativity flow when designing a costume. If you have a idea for something that could be interesting try to work it into the costume without compromising functionality. Personally, I prefer to start with an outrageous costume then take away until I find balance. Play with colors, patterns, styles, layers, and accessories until you find the perfect costume exhibiting style and functionality, but…

3. Keep in mind that an artist has to repeatedly draw the costume. It’s fun to go all out, but don’t overwork your artist. If the costume is too hard to repeat, the artist might try to make up for that extra time by putting less work into the rest of the page. Additionally, if he’s a freelancer, he will probably expect more money. Fortunately, there’s usually a middle ground where you can have what you want without overworking the artist. It usually helps if you keep the accessories to a minimum—focus on the ones that matter. Finally, make sure that you consult with your artist.

4. Make sure your colors and shades contribute to the feel of the costume. Each color has its own feel and different shades can accentuate that feel. Light colors make the hero feel more heroic and bold like Superman or Spiderman. Conversely, darker colors create a darker and edgier feel like Batman or The Punisher. Alternatively, rich colors like deep purples suggest sophistication or regality, while bright colors like fluorescent yellow or orange suggest youth and energy.

5. Make your accessories and extra clothing iconic. If you include accessories in an outfit, make them memorable. Even if you prefer minimalist costumes, the right accessory can take it from bland to stylish. For example, when Batman is portrayed in comics (particularly on covers), artists tend to focus on his cape. It flows and whips, which adds to the dark and creepy feel of the character and his stories. My character, Showtime, sports a vest and white gloves over a futuristic body suit to accent his individualism and showmanship.

Common accessories include capes, shades/goggles, belts/utility belts, gauntlets, sashes, etc. Some experimental accessories include scarves/bandanas, designer shades, jewelry, sections of armor, bracelets/armbands, headphones, things that are popular in fashion, etc. You can also use aspects of layering and asymmetry to set your costume off.

6. Designing superheroine costumes can be tricky. It’s hard to find a balance between puritanically boring and scandalously outrageous. It’s usually good to work realistically when thinking up the costume. Every girl is different and while some don’t like to show much skin, others are more comfortable showing their bodies. When designing female costumes I use influences from modern fashion. I see what’s hot and how it can be modified to look heroic.

7. A superhero’s costume should tell something important about the hero. When designing your costume, please remember that it’s the first statement about who the hero is. When readers look at it, they should feel something. If they don’t, the costume has probably failed. Fortunately, it doesn’t take much to evoke a feeling with a costume– small elements can create an overall tone. For example, adding rips and tears can make a character feel savage and wild. Adding jewelry can make them feel haughty or vain. Make sure you give the costume an edge.

Good luck!

When we last left off, I had asked for help redesigning Agent Orange to look more serious.  That was mainly an issue of the eyes and gesture.  I think the new gesture is a big improvement, and now I think just the eyes are left.  (Also, for a minor tweak… I’d like the claws to look more like claws than sharp fingernails).

What do you think?

When we last left off, we were working on a character design for Agent Orange, a mutant alligator protagonist.  I liked version 2 below, but the eyes were too large and cartoony for a high school audience.

Now I have six references for cartoon reptile eyes.  Which reference(s) do you like the best?