William Lorenz Jr. first gained notoriety as Buffalo’s Best Batman, after winning a local contest held by a library in 2014. Since then he’s performed in cosplay in front of thousands, started a local charity, collaborated with fellow causeplayers, and he continues to serve his community in his Batman suit. We talked with Lorenz to better understand his origins, his drive to serve, and to learn more about his journey in the cape and cowl.

When asked if Lorenz began to cosplay as a young fan of Batman, he replied, “That really came with the martial arts background, [where I’d] put on these live fight scenes essentially. We didn’t get to have multiple takes or five different cameras around. We would do these little live shows, and since then I’ve been lucky enough to perform around the world doing them. But it was from there that we would design costumes that we’d be able to perform the choreography in. This first one is what I call my homemade one. The armor itself was really paintball armor, and then just my karate gee pants. It had been sitting in storage for three years.”

Lorenz’s cosplay though homemade allowed for significant mobility which helped with his performances.

Lorenz recalled, “I’d be able to punch and kick in [the original suit.] Now I have the replica Keaton suit, and I would never wanna get into an actual fight in it.”

Trolls on the internet alas focused on Lorenz old suit, and began to disparage him online for a time.

Lorenz remarked, “That [homemade suit] came back to haunt me a little bit because after wearing that same suit for a couple years, then rightfully so I started getting some trolling on the internet. Lorenz remembered hearing comments like, “How can you call yourself the best Batman?”

Lorenz continued, “Compared to other people that are spending thousands of dollars, it’s just difficult to see the [reason] when they don’t know the whole story with the practicality.”

Lorenz never let these trolls get to him though. Similarly when he pitched a research topic all about Superheros for his college thesis, he never doubted his choice even when his peers were going more “traditional” routes with their papers. Thankfully he had the support of his professors.

Lorenz said at the time, “I’m going into my senior year of college, I’m getting ready and applying to law school, and I’m telling my advisor I want to write a thirty-six page paper on superheroes. He didn’t discourage me. He just said it’s going to have to be better in a lot of ways in terms of the quality than some of the other topics which might at first glance appear more academic. So we really put a lot of thought into it, and I received an A for my effort. I’m very proud of that.”

Clearly Lorenz’s love of superheroes and Batman runs deep, and I asked if he imagined this helped guide him as a young kid into who he became as an adult.

Lorenz thought for a moment and replied, “Certainly growing up I think [superheroes] had an influence on me, along with my upbringing and my parents trying to instill right and wrong and everything associated with that. But then also certainly pop culture as well influences a child and then an adult. So superheroes I’m sure some psychologists would say had an impact in some positive way.

Lorenz then contrasted his journey with others who done capes and cowls that have strived to be more of a vigilante than a cosplayer, saying “I know that there are individuals in the United States at least that will dress up and actually go out and fight and try to fight crime in so many ways, or be a neighborhood watch. They’ll have their own costumes, and sometimes create their own characters and not use established ones.

Lorenz wanted to go a different route and instead of fighting crime directly, he hoped to be a role model as Buffalo’s Best Batman. When asked to elaborate further, Lorenz replied “the driving ethos is to be that beacon of light for the community. For some people that is volunteering at a soup kitchen and nobody knows about it. And really they are the real heroes. I know that’s become a cliche term to say, but true charity work is not getting awards for it and it’s just doing the work. And nobody knows you’re helping. But there is also this component where if you have an attraction, like a character’s gonna be there dressed up, then that puts more eyes on the charity event.”

Lorenz realized this attention could help him shine a light on specific charity events, so he helpd form a food drive in his community know as the Superhero Food Drive.

Lorenz explained, “So the one that I’ve started the Superhero Food Drive is now in its third year. You see a million different food drives, but you add the superhero component and [people think[ now I have a reason to bring my kids while I’m donating. So yes there’s media attention and I’ve been blessed to receive some accolades for my charity work, but again there’s always a ‘why’ to it. It’s not just, ‘Hey, look at me.’

Lorenz clearly understands there can be at times a thin line between attention for good and attention for one’s own sake, as he explains, “I know that conflicts. ‘You’re Buffalo’s Best Batman,’ people might say. That was the title the library gave me. I didn’t pick it. It’s catchy. So here we are nearly 10 years and people still wanna talk to me. So yeah, something worked with it, so I’ve been very blessed.”

Though Lorenz at one time retired briefly in 2015, after returning to causeplay and especially as the pandemic raged on, he found new purpose as he tried to change his approach and sought new ways to help his community. The Superhero Food Drive was born from his new concerted effort to find new ways to help his community.

Lorenz said, “I volunteered at these food banks and food pantries, and at one in particular we finished two hours early just out of food and people kept coming up saying ‘We’re here to pick up food’ [but we] didn’t have any. And that really did impact me. I thought maybe I can be more proactive than showing up to an event that’s already planned in my costume to hand out food. Why don’t I just move up the supply chain there and be the one to get the supplies to bring to people. That’s how the food drive started.”

Lorenz also changed his suite for a time, as he embraced the more comedic, campy side of Batman.

Lorenz recalled, “I had to figure out how do I still keep Buffalo’s best Batman going. Do I want to keep going through this pandemic where there really is a global super villain, if you will? [So I] switched to the Adam West costume because I saw people enjoyed that one more. They didn’t need the dark night at that point. They needed the funny one, right? Bring some smiles.”

Lorenz was not always certain at the response he would receive though, and he remembers one night in particular that has since stuck with him.

Lorenz remembered, “The first event I did [the Adam West costume] was at the Broadway Market. We have a strong Polish contingent there, and we are putting together Easter dinners and Easter baskets. So I went there right as the pandemic was beginning, and this gentleman turned to me and just started laughing. And I thought, ‘Oh no, this is not gonna work.’ I’m in the spandex suit, and I was like, ‘Why have I done this? I just killed the whole thing’. But he walked over and shook my hand and said, ‘Thank you. I needed that tonight.’ And that’s when I realized we have something then if I keep this going.”

To read more of our interview with William Lorenz Jr. aka Buffalo’s Best Batman, visit Cosplay in America 

You can also purchase a copy of The Ballad of Buffalo’s Best “Batman”, on Amazon and follow Buffalo’s Best Batman on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram