Guelph’s Spiderman has more in common with the real deal than first appearance.
The bright red, black and blue costume he sports while running and hanging around various public places in Guelph certainly fits the part. But it goes a little deeper than that.
Brandon Bott, 19, has been dressing as Guelph Spiderman for three years now.
Regular sightings find him hanging from lamp posts downtown, running along a wall on Gordon Street, posing for pics at numerous charity events.
He was at the Mustang Drive-In for the opening night of the latest Spiderman Homecoming movie and had a tonne of fun with the crowd.
“I just thought ‘what if I run around the city in costume?’” said Bott, who is a carpenter by day.
“People just light up when they see a superhero, which, honestly, for me is the best part of this. Seeing people smile and that it makes their day, even if it’s a small thing,” Bott said, “and it’s not just kids, it’s adults too.”
The proof is in the pudding. An interview with Bott at a downtown Guelph park is interrupted several times by people – young and old – looking to have their picture taken with him.
“I’ve never had a negative reaction,” he said. “It’s just a fun hobby.”
Bott says he was a pretty shy and introverted lad growing up in Guelph where he attended Centennial high school.
Dressing as Spiderman, his version of cosplay – dressing as a specific character – has helped him overcome that.
“When I first met the Marvelous Girls of KW Cosplay back three years ago at Kitchener Comic Con I actually couldn't even talk to them, my dad did for me,” said Bott, referring to a group of cosplay friends he hangs out with at expos and events.
“I have become more open and less shy. Cosplay has enabled me to become someone I never really thought I could be,” Bott said.
Bott grew up loving Spiderman, watching cartoons, reading comics and seeing the movies.
“It wasn’t until five years ago when I went to Fan Expo in Toronto that I realized ‘hey, people actually dress up.’”
Two years after that he bought his first Spiderman costume online. He now owns seven Spiderman costumes, including a Canadian Spiderman outfit that he had specially made. They cost him between $150 and $350 each.
He’s gone one step further, getting his e-bike wrapped in a Spiderman theme and wearing an airbrushed Spiderman helmet.
His 1999 Toyota Tercel has also been turned into a Spidey mobile.
“He’s just always appealed to me as a kid,” Bott said of why he chose this particular superhero to dress up as.
“He’s the most relatable superhero in my opinion. He’s supposed to be a regular high school student. He’s not rich. He’s just dealing with small stuff.”
Bott is for hire for birthday parties or special events and has been asked about why he doesn’t do more busking for money. But he says he’s not interested in the money so much.
“I’d like to do more charitable events and into children’s hospitals,” he said.
Guelph Spiderman can be contacted at [email protected]. He can be found on Instagram at @guelphspiderman and on Facebook.
