#chibicon2018

Before we start talking about just cosplay things, I’m sure that you, dear readers, would like to get to know our guests better:

S: Hello, I am Sylvia and I am 27 years old. I have been interested in cosplay for more than 10 years now. I like travelling and attending various events related to anime, manga, cosplay and gaming. I enjoy mainly things related to fantasy/sci-fi/mecha/post apocalyptic and sometimes slices of everyday life. This is why some of my favorite anime series are Natsume Yuujinchou, Seirei no Moribito, Casshern Sins, Stein’s Gate, Bounen no Xamdou, Psycho Pass, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Suisei no Gargantia, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Rebuild of Evangelion movie series, RaXephon (which personally for me is one of the most beautiful mecha of all time), Shangri La (because of the incredible character design made by Range Murata), Shinsekai Yori, Hellsing Ultimate, Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun, Kotonoha no Niwa and etc. Also I am a big fan of studio Ghibli’s good classics like Howl’s moving castle and some of their newer things like The Wind Rises and From Up on Poppy Hill. Regarding manga, some of the titles that have seriously grabbed my attention over the years are Naruto, Bleach, Claymore, Shingeki no Kyojin, Magi, Adekan, Fruits Basket and two emblematic manhwa series – Demon diary and Noblesse . Among my favorite books are Harry Potter, The wheel of time, Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. Recently I am a lot into Marvel’s universe and planning some related costumes. However, outside of the geek frame, I am an ecologist and I occupy myself with related administrative work. Most of my daily schedule is dedicated to that work and this is the reason why for the moment for me cosplay is a hobby for fun and a wonderful free time activity, through which I can have these mini daily breaks. I have never looked at cosplay from competitive point of view or even had the need to make a facebook page.

T: Okay so here’s a little something about me – My name is Todor, but most people call me Toh. I am a hard core anime fam, gamer, cosplayer (obviously) and a geek and a nerd in the utmost hardcore meaning of these words. I absolutely adore everything artsy or crafty, I get fascinated sometimes by very small things or details instead of the big grand masterpieces. Sometimes there is much more value in a sketch than the finished art for me. Other than that – I try to defy the commonly accepted stereotyped “it-has-to-be-like-this” world and I do my best to spread my color bubble of a world that I live in. Happiness for all!

V: Hello, my name is Veni and I’ve just recently turned 18 years old. I’ve been in the cosplay scene for almost 4 years now, but I actually started cosplaying 3 years ago. Ever since I started cosplaying, crossplay has become my main passion, because it allows me to be something completely opposite from what I am mentally and physically. It also allows me to get creative with makeup, which is my other big passion. Among my favorite series/anime/video games are Game of Thrones, Sherlock, Fate, Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Shingeki no Kyojin, Assassin’s Creed, DC and Marvel Universe, etc. People know me for my love for drag queens and kings, and my parents can confirm that I wear a drag beard on a daily basis at home. Bearded male characters are my trademark. A proof for that is the fact that I’ve even cosplayed singer Adam Lambert. Besides cosplay and drag I love learning new languages and traveling around Europe. It is my dream to visit as many countries in the world as possible.

A: I am Alex Zin, in my daily disguise I am on my graduation’s year of film & media studies in Sofia, and I write for online outlets for film, culture, lifestyle and technology. As any respectable geek, I obsess around anime, western cartoons, as well as films and novels. Game of Thrones, Star Wars, Black Butler and the universe of DC are just a few of the names that have ruined my social life throughout the years. I also play computer games far more than the doctors recommend, but I don’t smoke, which is a good thing, I guess.

  Everyone’s cosplay story begins differently, and our new friends are no exception either. Let’s hear a little something about their journey into cosplay:

S: Well, to be honest, it all started in the distant 2005/2006, with the standard viewing and admiring of other fans on the web with the thought ‘’These people are cool!’’. Only a bit later on, I was on one of the first anime events in Bulgaria, where some of the guests had prepared themselves with costumes of different characters, and that was the moment when the thought of making a costume and wearing one began to occur to me. As we all know, doing the first step is much or less hard – it personally took me a few years of wonder until I decided to do something. I also received a great motivation from a close personal friend – Todor Kostov (Toh).

A: In 2009 I went to the biggest Con in Bulgaria – Aniventure. At that point it was not as spectacular as it is now, and the cosplay wasn’t as flashy as now. I was completely terrified of some of them, particularly a guy dressed up as a satyr, with his extremely hairy legs out in the open. It took me 3 years to overcome this mental scar in my head, and finally, in 2012 I did my first cosplay. The reason behind it is that I wanted to go to the Con without paying a ticket. So, I made a costume that costs 100 levs, in order to not pay a 20 lev ticket. I was never fond of maths.

T: I remember my first event – I didn’t have any friends and I didn’t know anyone there and it was so scary! Two hours later I realized I was home! I was amongst my people and it made me feel so happy, so delighted that there are other crazy people like me. To top that extraordinary emotion on the second day of the event the cosplay happened. I was absolutely stunned and amazed by this idea! This single event had created the spark that would light the fire within me that would burn my endless craving for cosplay! (extra points for whoever got the Star Wars reference).

V: Since I was I child I have enjoyed movie franchises like Pirates of the Carribbean, Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, and I used to make Halloween costumes every year, until one day I had discovered what cosplay was, and I did my first not so childish costume- Frodo Baggins. In 2014 a friend of mine told me about a big anime event in Bulgaria that would be the perfect place for me to go and meet fellow geeks. I became a con goer for the next year, until finally getting submerged into the cosplay scene, and since then, I haven’t stopped. I accomplished my dearest childish dreams – to become different characters from my favorite movies, which felt amazing. I met a lot of friends that helped me through and showed me that cosplay is in fact an art, and that there’s no better feeling than being able to escape from reality and dedicating your time to making a costume that will represent you in an unusual way.

To group cosplay or not to group cosplay – that is the question.

S: To answer this question I first need to say that I enjoy cosplaying in group more then cosplaying alone. I did one of my first cosplay projects, which was Code Geass, together with Todor, and I enjoyed it a lot more. After that there was another one and another and etc. It is important to point out that the mutual cosplay ideas with different friends are born in a different way. The first group cosplay that I mentioned came very naturally for both me and Toh, because at that time we were pretty much into the same fandoms, and we were liking almost the same things. After that with time, we developed the custom of discussing the cosplay ideas carefully, whether they are suitable for us, and we really go into depth and study the characters, the possible ways we can do the costumes, which way will be better, what kind of textiles and crafting materials are most fitting to use and many other topics. I think that me and Alex decided we wanted to work together on costumes back in the autumn of 2014. We did our first cosplay in 2015 on East European Comic Con. All I can say is that with Alex all the great ideas are born in the moment and from sporadic decisions, jokes or challenges that we seem to like throwing at each other. And the best part, which I love the most, is when we are both up for the challenge. And last but not least, with Veni.  We have both decided on working together only recently, after discovering how big of fans of certain things we are. Not long ago we started talking a lot about making a photoshoot together with our costumes from Assassin’s Creed. Well, we still have not made the photoshoot, but just talking about making something together and being in cosplay brought us together for, I dare say a splendid Marvel project that we are yet to present this year. Truth be told, I am excited about  working with Veni, because I admire her advanced make up skills and simple, but yet, clever decisions on how to work things out with the costumes.

The first collaboration between Sylvia and Toh

Sylvia and Alex

T: Once I had discovered the joy of doing a cosplay project (even a nooby lame first attempt), I wanted to share this joy with my friends. Once we started talking about doing a cosplay together, our combined ideas and plans grew exponentially! Sylvia has proven to be a great motivation and a force that would push me in my lazy days! And even when we are not cosplaying together, all the time, every year we still consider and discuss if we can do something together that excites us both. 2017 was one of those glorious moments when we combine our creative minds together to create a memory that will last a lifetime! I absolutely encourage everyone to at least once try cosplaying with their friends!

A: Since 2013 we have put up many shows on different conventions in different countries. We have partnered with Sylvia in East European Comic Con and won an award, and I also participated at London Comic Con and was also awarded “Best Performance”. I have always wanted to be the characters I cosplay, and imitate them as much as possible. I emphases a lot on the “-play” part in cosplay, as this is the biggest joy for me. We even did a 20 minutes skit on Aniplay 2015 ( we did Adventure Time), and another long skit on Aniplay 2016 (Alice in Wonderland). I was very happy with out performance, as it took months to prepare, but in the end it payed off and the crowd loved our cosplay.

V: Sadly, I haven’t had the chance to work with any of these amazing people. Since the very beginning of my journey I’ve admired the three of them and I’ve seen them as the truly skilled crafters that they are that I can look up to if I’m in need. I’m thankful that Sylvia and I found more than a few things in common, which contributed to our future collaboration. It will be a great pleasure and experience which I’m really looking forward to.

  Saying that you want to be a cosplayer is one thing, but becoming one is something completely different. I’ve asked Sylvia, Toh, Alex and Veni what advice they would give to potential future cosplayers who are afraid to start something:

S: You are afraid to start a project? Well, start it with a friend who is also interested, support each other and motivate each other to get work well done. Cosplay is just another, or maybe a totally different way to spend time together and have fun. Don’t strain yourself on how good your costume is or how people will accept it, because the community is big enough and open minded enough to praise your effort. Don’t hold back to ask for help or advice from others, and most importantly, don’t hold back on expressing your likes through cosplay.

T: I always admire people who do cosplay – it might be the simplest of wardrobe dress up, or a simple cardboard. The scariest part is to make the decision and to get on that stage! Once you do it, no matter how simple of a cosplay you are doing – you have made a dream of yours come true! And not many people have had that courage! So, it is okay to be hesitant and afraid, but never let these feelings stop you! Also, never be afraid to ask other cosplayers for help, or advice, or just talk to them for motivation. We don’t bite…much!

V: You shouldn’t be afraid to try. If you love a certain thing, then let that love push you. Even if you have no idea how to sew nor craft, knowledge comes with practice, so be ready to fail, but also to succeed. Every little effort pays off in the end, so don’t give up and start cosplaying!

A: It’s just like every other challenge in life. You cannot start something new and expect to be a pro in it. There is a big learning process in cosplay, which frankly, we all have to go through in every costume we make. But, the benefits and the joy of this hobby are worth the struggle. The emotions you will have, and the friendships that you will build in this hobby are what keeps me motivated to continue on, and it’s a good way to look upon any challenge in life.

  Speaking of motivation, what is that which motivates them?

A: The amazing reaction of the fans of the character I make is what brings such joy to me when I cosplay. I was also awed by fictional characters, and when I saw them for first time in videos or photos, I was so amazed by the way that the cosplay community works and achieves the complete look of the characters. So, by bringing excitement to the people that come to conventions and watch the shows makes me keep doing it, even after 5 years. This is a hobby made by fans, for fans.

V: My main motivation in cosplay are my friends and their support. Of course, watching new titles gives me ideas and motivates me to start crafting new things and discover/develop skills. I get easily attracted to characters, even if the said character doesn’t appear to be in my style. Motivation comes from different places and it’s normal for it to lack sometimes. That’s why I personally leave the craft to gather some energy and continue at a more appropriate moment.

S: For me, there are 2 things in cosplay which are huge motivation. The first one is that through cosplay I am given a magnificent opportunity to revel in all the things I love, because, let’s face it, it is one thing to say that you like to play Assassin’s Creed, but it is a whole different thing to run around in a costume of Ezio and be like ‘’Wohoo I’m an assassin!’’. The second major thing is expressed in the face of the cosplay community. In recent years, apart from being a free time activity, cosplay has become a huge bonus, even a gift for me, because it gives me many opportunities to meet people who share the same general interests; people to spend wonderful time with and charismatic people from whom I can learn and enrich my knowledge of the way costumes are made.

T: Now, this is a question that I think has a different answer every day. But I would say (most of the time) that I try to do the things that make me happy! These things may be silly or useless to other people, but when I do them, I am rejuvenated and full of energy!

  To some of them, this ill be their very first time on one of our conventions, but some of them have visited our conventions before. What are their expectations?

S: If I am not mistaken, this will be my 3rd time attending an event in Serbia. Among my expectations is the chance to manage to see and have a good time with the friends from Serbia that I have made throughout the years and visits, and to enjoy the content of the convention at it’s fullest!

V: Visiting a Serbian convention was on my list for a long time but I wasn’t able to do it until now, because I’ve just recently turned 18, and I can travel on my own (yay). It is a big pleasure for me to come here, because this is a way of showing the friendship that was formed between both our communities in the last years. I expect to meet a lot of new faces, and maybe explore a different cosplay mentality. I’m sure that everybody will give their 100% at doing art and simultaneously having fun.

T: I have already visited this event a few years ago – I hope that I get to meet even more happy and enthusiastic people there, people that share this thirst for adventures and art and happines! And I do hope I’ll make less of a fool of myself this time, haha! Stop by and drop me a Hi – I’d love to get to meet everyone!

A: I am thrilled to come to Chibicon. Some friends of mine had attended it in previous years, and they said that the energy and the crowd is amazing, that it is really a fun experience with a lot of various content and a great environment for fans of such sort. It is my first time in Serbia as well, so I cannot wait to try all the local dishes, as well as a designated amount of home-made (mainly alcoholic) drinks!

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Pre nego što započnemo sa konkretnim stvarima vezanim za kosplej, verujem da biste voleli da znate nešto malo više o našim gostima:

S: Zdravo, ja sam Silvija i imam 27. godina. Preko više od 10 godina se bavim kosplejom. Volim da putujem i da prisustvujem brojnim anime, manga, kosplej i gejming događajima. Najviše volim stvari koje su u fantasy/sci-fi/mecha/post apocalyptic fazonu, a ponekad i slices of everyday life. Upravo iz ovog razloga neki od mojih najomiljenijih anime naslova su: Natsume Yuujinchou, Seirei no Moribito, Casshern Sins, Stein’s Gate, Bounen no Xamdou, Psycho Pass, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Suisei no Gargantia, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Rebuild of Evangelion filmski serijal, RaXephon (koji je za mene lično jedan od najboljih mecha animea svih vremena), Shangri La (zbog neverovatnog dizajna likova koje je uradio Range Murata), Shinsekai Yori, Hellsing Ultimate, Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun, Kotonoha no Niwa itd. Takođe sam veliki fan dobrih klasika studija Ghibli, poput Howl’s moving castle, kao i nekih njihovih novijih naslova poput The Wind Rises i From Up on Poppy Hill. Što se mange tiče, neki od naslova koji su mi izrazito zapali za oko tokom godina su: Naruto, Bleach, Claymore, Shingeki no Kyojin, Magi, Adekan, Fruits Basket, i dva simbolična manhwa serijala – Demon diary i Noblesse. Među moje omiljene knjige spadaju  Hari Poter, Točak vremena, Gospodar Prstenova i Silmarillion. U zadnje vreme sam se pronašla u Marvelovom univerzumu, te planiram neke kostime odatle. Međutim, van gikovskih okvira, ja sam ekolog I bavim se administrativnim poslovima vezanim za ovo zanimanje. Veći deo mog dana je posvećen poslu, te je to razlog zbog kojeg mi je kosplej trenutno samo hobi iz zabave i divna aktivnost u slobodno vreme, zahvaljujući kome mogu da imam ove mini odmore. Nikada nisam gledala na kosplej sa takmičarske strane gledišta, niti sam ikada imala potrebu da pravim stranicu na fejsu.

T: Ok, evo nečeg malo više o meni – zovem se Todor, ali me svi zovu Toh. Ja sam okoreli anime fan, gejmer, kosplejer (očigledno), i gik i štreber u najokorelijem smislu te reči. Apsolutno obožavam sve što ima veze sa umetnošću ili kraftovanjem, ponekad me fasciniraju veoma mali delovi ili detalji umesto grandioznih remek – dela. Ponekad obična skica nosi veću vrednost za mene nego završeno umetničko delo. Pored toga, pokušavam da prkosim opšteprihvaćenom svetu punom stereotipa koji tvrdi ,,mora da bude tako kako jeste’’, i trudim se da približim moj šareni mehur svetu u kome živim. Radost za sve!

V: Zdravo, zovem se Veni i nedavno sam napunila 18 godina. Bavim se kosplejom već 4 godine, kojim sam počela zvanično da se bavim pre 3 godine. Još od kad sam krenula sa kosplejom, krosplej je postao moja velika strast, zato što mi omogućava da postanem nešto što je kompletna suprotnost od onoga što sam ja psihički i fizički. Takođe mi dozvoljava da budem maštovita sa šminkom, koja je moja druga velika strast. U moje omiljene serije/animee/video igre spadaju GoT, Šerlok, Fate, Pirati sa Kariba, Hari Poter, Gospodar Prstenova, Shingeki no Kyojin, Assassin’s Creed, DC i Marvel univerzum itd. Ljudi me znaju zbog moje ljubavi prema dreg kvinsima i kingsima, a moji roditelji mogu da potvrde da imam običaj da nosim dreg bradu kod kuće. Kao dokaz tome je činjenica da sam uradila kosplej pevača Adama Lamberta. Pored kospleja i drega, volim da učim nove jezike i da putujem po Evropi. Moj san je da posetim što više zemalja sveta što je moguće.

A: Jas am Alex Zin. Tokom dana, na završnoj sam godini na studijama filma i medija u Sofiji, a takođe pišem članke o filmu, kulturi, stilu života i tehnologiji. Kao ugledni gik, obožavam anime, zapadnjačke crtaće, kao i knjige i novele. GoT, Ratovi Zvezda, Black Butler I DC univerzum su neke od stvari koje su uništile moj socijalni život u proteklih nekoliko godina. Takođe igram video igre više nego što lekari preporučuju, ali ne pušim, što je dobra stvar, pretpostavljam.

  Svačija kosplej priča počinje drugačije, pa ni naši novi prijatelji nizu izuzetak. Hajde da čujemo nešto o njihovom ulasku u kosplej svet:

S: Iskrena da budem, sve je počelo davne 2005/2006, standardnim posmatranjem i divljenjem sa ostalim fanovima sa interneta uz pomisao: ,,Ovi ljudi su kul’’! Tek nešto kasnije sam se našla na jednom od prvih anime događaja u Bugarskoj, na kom su se gosti ,,naoružali’’ kostimima različitih likova, i u tom trenutku sam počela da razmišljam o pravljenju i nošenju kostima. Kao što svi znamo, prvi korak je manje – više težak – lično mi je trebalo nekoliko godina razmišljanja dok nisam odlučila da nešto uradim. Takođe sam dobila veliku podršku od mog velikog prijatelja – Todora Kostova (Toh).

A: 2009. godine sam otišao na najveću konvenciju u Bugarskoj – Aniventure. Aniventure tada nije bio toliko spektakularan kao što je sada, i kosplej nije toliko ,,šljaštao’’ kao sada. Neki od njih su me skroz prestravili, konkretno jedan lik obučen kao satyr, koji je pustio njegove maljave noge na izvol’te. Bile su mi potrebne 3 godine da se oporavim od ovog nemilog događaja, i, napokon, 2012. godine sam uradio moj prvi kosplej. Uradio sam ga zato što sam želeo da uđem na Aniventure za džabe. I tako sam napravio kostim koji je koštao 100 leva  kako ne bih platio kartu od 20 leva. Nikad nisam voleo matematiku.

T: Sećam se mog prvog događaja – uopšte nisam imao prijatelje i nisam nikoga poznavao i bilo je strašno! Dva sata kasnije, shvatio sam da sam kod kuće! Bio sam među svojima i bio sam toliko srećan, preserećan što postoje ljudi kao ja. Povrh toga, drugog dana konvencije sam doživeo nešto neobično kada sam ugledao kosplej. Bio sam potpuno iznenađen i zadivljen ovom idejom! Taj događaj je stvorio iskru koja je u meni zapalila plamen koji će zapaliti moju beskrajnu žudnju za kosplejom!

V: Još od kad sam bila dete uživala sam u filmskim franšizama poput Pirata sa Kariba, Gospodara prstenova, Hari Potera. Svake godine bih pravila kostime za Noć veštica, dok nisam otkrila šta je kosplej i dok nisam uradila moj prvi ne-detinji kosplej – Frodo Begins. Jedan moj prijatelj mi je 2014. godine ispričao o jednom velikom anime događaju u Bugarskoj koji bi bio savršeno mesto za mene i za upoznavanje novih gikova. Išla sam po konvencijama tokom cele te godine dok napokon nisam zašla u kosplej scenu, i od tada se ne zaustavljam. Ostvarila sam moje najdraže snove iz detinjstva da oživim različite likove iz mojih najomiljenijih filmova, što je neverovatno. Upoznala sam mnogo prijatelja koji su mi pomagali i koji su mi pokazali da je kosplej zapravo umetnost i da ne postoji bolji osećaj od toga kada pobegneš od stvarnosti i posvetiš svoje vreme pravljenju kostima koji će te predstaviti na jedan neobičan način.

Grupni ili samostalni kosplej – pitanje je sad.

S: Kako bih odgovorila na ovo pitanje, moram da kažem da više volim grupni kosplej nego onaj pojedinačni. Jedan od mojih prvih grupnih kospleja sam uradila sa Tohom, i uživala sam mnogo više nego kad bih to sama uradila. U pitanju je bila Code Geass franšiza. Nakon toga je pala još jedna saradnja, i još jedna, itd. Bitno je istaći da zajedničke kosplej ideje sa različitim prijateljima nastaju na različiti način. Prvi grupni kosplej koji sam pomenula je za Toha i mene došao sasvim prirodno, zato što smo u to vreme gotivili iste fandome i gotivili smo skoro iste stvari. Nakon toga, s vremenom smo stekli naviku da pažljivo diskutujemo o kosplej idejama i da li su odgovarajuće za nas. Mi se zaista udubljujemo u analizu likova, načine na koje možemo da napravimo kostime, koji način će biti bolji, koje tkanine i materijali za krafting su najbolji, kao i o drugim temama. Mislim da smo Alex i ja odlučili da radimo zajedno na jesen 2014. godine, a naš prvi zajednički kosplej smo promovisali 2015. godine na East European Comic Con-u. Sve što mogu da kažem je da u saradnji sa Alexom sve ideje nastaju momentalno, iz sporadičnih odluka, šala ili izazova kojim, izgleda, volimo da se dobacujemo. Najbolji deo, kog volim najviše, je kada smo oboje spremni za izazov. I, na kraju, što se tiče saradnje sa Veni, tek nedavno smo odlučile da sarađujemo zajedno nakon što smo otkrile koliki smo fanovi nekih stvari. Nedavno smo počele da pričamo o zajedničkoj foto sesiji sa našim kostimima iz Assassin’s Creed-a. Pa, još uvek to nismo uradile, ali sama ideja o pravljenju nečeg zajedničkog, i to u kospleju, nas je spojilo za, ako smem da kažem, neverovatan Marvel projekat, kog tek treba da predstavimo ove godine. Da budem iskrena, uzbuđena sam što radim sa Veni, zato što se divim njenom neverovatnom talentu za šminkanje, i jednostavnim, ali mudrim odlukama o tome kako da sredi pojedine stvari na kostimima.

Prva saradnja Silvije i Toha

Silvija i Alex

T: Kada sam otkrio radosti kosplej projekta, želeo sam da to podelim sa mojim prijateljima. Kada smo počeli da pričamo o stvaranju kosplej projekta, naše zajedničke ideje i planovi su eksponencijalno porasli! Silvija se pokazala kao velika motivacija i sila koja bi me gurala tokom mojih lenjih dana! Čak i kada ne radimo zajednilčki kosplej, sve vreme, svake godine diskutujemo o tome šta možemo zajedno da radimo i to nas raduje. 2017. godina je bila jedna od savršenih prilika da zajedno kombinujemo naše kreativne umove kako bismo stvorili uspomenu koja će trajati ceo život! Apsolutno podržavam sve vas da barem jednom uradite kosplej sa vašim prijateljima!

  A: Od 2014. godine smo nastupali zajedno na različitim konvencijama u različitim državama. Udružili smo se sa Silvijom na East European Comic Con-u i osvojili smo nagradu, a ja sam takođe učestvovao na London Comic Con-u i dobio sam nagradu za najbolji performans. Uvek sam želeo da budem pljunuti odraz likova čiji kosplej radim, te se trudim da ih imitiram što je više moguće. Dosta stavim naglasak na ,,-play’’ deo iz reči ,,cosplay’’, zato što je za mene to najveća radost. 2015. godine smo uradili skeč od 20 minuta na Aniplay-u (Adventure Time je bio u pitanju) i još jedan duži skeč na Aniplay-u naredne godine (Alice in Wonderland). Bio sam veoma zadovoljan kako je naš nastup prošao, zato što smo ga spremali nekoliko meseci, ali se isplatilo na kraju, i publika je bila oduševljena našim nastupom.

V: Nažalost, još uvek nisam imala priliku da sarađujem sa ovim divnim ljudima. Još od samog početka mog kosplej puta sam im se divila i posmatrala sam ih kao zaista vešte kraftere kakvi jesu kojima mogu da se obratim za pomoć. Zahvalna sam Silviji i saznala sam da imamo mnogo toga zajedničkog, što je doprinelo našoj budućoj saradnji. Biće mi veliko zadovoljstvo i jedno veliko iskustvo kojem se radujem.

  Reći da želiš da postaneš kosplejer je jedno, a odlučiti se na taj korak je nešto sasvim drugo. Postoji toliko ljudi koji bi voleli nešto da započnu, ali to ne urade iz straha. Pitala sam Silviju, Toha, Alexa i Veni koje bi savete dali potencijalnim budućim kosplejerima koji strahuju da nešto započnu:

S: Plašiš se da započneš projekat? Pa, započni ga sa prijateljem koji je takođe zainteresovan, podržavajte i motivišite jedno drugo kako biste dobro odradili posao. Kosplej je još jedan, ili možda čak potpuno drugačiji izgovor za zajedničko druženje i zabavu. Nemoj da se nerviraš oko toga  koliko ti je dobar kostim ili kako će biti primljen, zajednica je dovoljno velika i otvorena, te će pohvaliti tvoj trud. Nemoj da se ustručavaš od traženja pomoći ili saveta od drugih, i, najbitnije od svega, nemoj da se ustručavaš od pokazivanja onog što voliš kroz kosplej.

T: Uvek se divim ljudima koji se bave kosplejom – čak i da je najobičniji komad tkanine u pitanju ili karton. Najstrašniji deo je donošenje odluke i izlazak na binu! Jednom kada to uradiš, nebitno koliko jednostavan kosplej da je u pitanju – ostvario si jedan od tvojih snova! Nisu svi ljudi toliko hrabri! Tako da je u redu da budeš neodlučan i uplašen, ali nikada nemoj da dozvoliš ovim osećanjima da te zaustave! I nikada nemoj da se plašiš da pitaš druge kosplejere za savet ili pomoć, ili samo pričaj sa njima radi motivacije. Ne grizemo…toliko!

V: Nemoj da se plašiš da pokušaš! Ako voliš neku stvar, onda pusti da te ta ljubav vodi. Čak iako ne znaš ni da šiješ ni da kraftuješ, znanje dolazi uz vežbu, tako da budi spreman na poraz, ali i na pobedu. Svaki mali pokušaj se isplati na kraju, tako da nemoj da odustaješ i počni sa kosplejom!

A: To je kao bilo koji drugi izazov u životu. Ne možeš da započneš nešto i da očekuješ da ćeš biti profesionalac u tome. Kosplej nosi u sebi jedan veliki proces učenja, kroz koji mi svi moramo da prođemo uz svaki kostim koji pravimo. Ali, dobit i radost koje ovaj hobi nosi su vredne truda. Osećanja koja ćeš imati, kao i prijateljstva koja ćeš sklopiti preko ovog hobija su ono što me motiviše da nastavim. Ovo je takođe dobar način koji će ti pomoći da se nosiš sa bilo kojim izazovom u životu.

A, šta je ono što ih motiviše u kospleju?

A: Neverovatna reakcija fanova na kosplej koji uradim je ono što me raduje. I ja takođe sam bio zadivljen likovima kada sam ih video prvi put na slikama ili na klipovima. Bio sam toliko zadivljen načinom na koji kosplej zajednica radi i postiže čitav izgled likova čiji kosplej radi. Tako da, donošenje veselja ljudima koji dolaze na konvencije i koji gledaju nastupe me tera da ovo još uvek radim, čak i nakon 5 godina.

V: Moja glavna motivacija u kospleju su moji prijatelji i njihova podrška. Naravno, gledanje novih naslova mi daje ideje i motiviše me da kraftujem nove stvari i da otkrivam i razvijam nove veštine. Lako me privlače oni likovi koji ne deluju kao da su u mom stilu. Motivacija dolazi iz raznih mesta i normalno je da je nekada manjka. Zbog toga ja lično ostavljam kraftovanje do trenutka kada skupim dovoljno energije i kada se osetim spremno.

S: Što se mene tiče, postoje dve stvari kod kospleja koje mi služe kao najveća motivacija. Prva je ta da mi je kroz kosplej data neverovatna mogućnost da uživam u svim stvarima koje volim, zato što, budimo realni, jedna je stvar kad kažeš da voliš da igraš Assassin’s Creed, a sasvim druga kada trčiš okolo u kostimu Ecija i budeš u fazonu: ‘’Juhu! Jas sam assassin!’’. Druga bitna stvar je izražena u samom licu kosplej zajednice. U skorije vreme, pored toga što je hobi, kosplej je za mene postao veliki bonus, mogu reći čak i dar, zato što mi daje toliko mogućnosti da upoznajem ljude koji vole iste stvari kao i ja; ljude uz koje se divno provedem, kao i ljude pune harizme od kojih mogu nešto da naučim i obogatim moje znanje o pravljenju kostima.

T: Mislim da je ovo pitanje koje svakog dana dobija drugačiji odgovor. Ali, morao bih da kažem (većinu vremena) pokušavam da radim one stvari koje me čine srećnim! Ove stvari se mogu činiti smešnim ili beskorisnim drugim ljudima, ali kada ih ja radim, osećam se podmlađeno I puno energije!

  Nekim od njih će ovo biti prvi put na nekoj našoj konvenciji, dok su neki od njih već iskusili čari naših konvencija ranije. Koja su njihova očekivanja?

S: Ako se ne varam, ovo će biti moja treća poseta nekoj konvenciji u Srbiji. Što se mojih očekivanja tiče, nadam se da ću se dobro zabaviti sa prijateljima iz Srbije koje sam stekla preko godina, kao i da ću uživati u ovoj konvenciji do maksimuma!

V: Poseta srpskoj konvenciji je već neko vreme bila na mom spisku, ali to nisam mogla ranije da ostvarim, zato što sam tek nedavno napunila 18 godina i mogu da putujem sama (jupi!). Veliko mi je zadovoljstvo što mogu ovde da dođem, zato što je ovo način da se dokaže prijateljstvo koje se razvilo između naših zajednica proteklih godina. Očekujem da upoznam mnogo novih ljudi, i možda čak da iskusim neki novi kosplej mentalitet. Sigurna sam da će svi dati svoj maksimum u ovoj umentosti i da će se istovrememo zabaviti.

T: Već sam posetio ovaj događaj pre par godina – nadam se da ću upoznati sve više veselih ljudi punih entuzijazma, ljudi koji dele strast za avanturom, umetnošću i srećom. I nadam se da ću se manje glupirati ovaj put, hahaha! Slobodno mi se javite – voleo bih sve da vas upoznam!

A: Uzbuđen sam što dolazim na Chibicon! Nekoliko mojih prijatelja je bilo na Chibiconu tokom prethodnih godina i preneli su mi da su energija i publika neverovatni i da je veoma zabavno iskustvo sa mnogo raznovrsnog sadržaja, kao i da je odličan ambijent za fanove okakvih stvari. Ovo će biti moj prvi put u Srbiji takođe, tako da jedva čekam da probam vaša jela, kao i određenu količinu domaćih (uglavnom alkoholnih) pića!