#cosplayer interview

The Big Chicken (Atlanta landmark) : ms_kelseykat

Since it’s a local landmark, people from out of town didn’t understand it - they just stared in confusion. But Atlanta locals LOVED IT! I’d hear people scream “OMG, THE BIG CHICKEN!!” and they were just so excited. I got to hear so many stories about peoples connections to the actual Big Chicken, I didn’t expect any of it. I’m really grateful that I got to make so many people happy with just a simple cardboard costume!

If wonderfully creepy cosplays, like the Sugar Plum Fairy from Cabin in the Woods, are your thing, then you’re in for a special treat with @donttouchmymilk! Her special effects and make-up skills are so on point you’ll forget it’s cosplay at all.  Seriously, go check out her page and catch her at the next con if you can. You definitely won’t be disappointed.

How did you first get into cosplay?

Back in 2008, some friends and I were playing the Fatal Frame video game series, and they started talking about a local anime convention called Animazement, suggesting we make costumes of our favorite Fatal Frame characters. I purchased and pieced together most of my costume. It was far from perfect, but I had a great time and never really looked back from there.

How did you get started doing the awesome special effects you do now for your cosplays? Was that always a part of it since the beginning, or did it develop over time?

I really got into cosplay via horror characters, such as ghosts from Fatal Frame and monsters from Silent Hill. And most of these creatures involve various degrees of makeup or prosthetics. Over time, I found I very much enjoyed the makeup aspect of costuming, and frequently started choosing costumes that involved heavy amounts of makeup and mask-making. 

How long does it take you to design the average cosplay because of how detailed they are?

It honestly varies from costume to costume. I created my Clicker (The Last of Us) in a couple weeks. The Sugarplum Fairy came together in less than a month. At the same time, my Witch Queen from The Last Witch Hunter took 11 months, and Sakuya from Fatal Frame IV, which has about 60 yards of hand-stitched trim and hand-painted fabric, I worked on off and on for 3 years. That one was rough. 

OI! Finally, amiright? The Anime Detour 2017 Cosplay Interview video is up!

Thanks to all of you for your patience in waiting for me to put out the video. I would like to thank all of you that were in the video.

Photo Cred: Girl with the Blue Hair Photography,  Mark's Cosplay Photography, and Rhoscoe Photo 

Cosplayer Interview: Veloria.Solo.Cosplay

Why did you decide on this character?

Ever since ECCC 2018, I have been sucked into the colourful, larger than life and funny world of Ragnarok cosplay. For that convention, I made a Gladiator Hulk cosplay (which is my favourite cosplay I’ve ever made to date, armor, green body paint and all) and a Contest of Champions Thor for my husband. Through this, we met so many other amazing Ragnarok cosplayers and had so much fun connecting with them as we all con crunched, and embodying those characters while sparking cool reactions from other con goers. This is the most I’ve seen my husband light up in a cosplay and I wanted to stay in that world and headspace and keep having fun (while avoiding the hours it took to airbrush my whole body green. I also thought it’d be an easier build. Ha! Past me is stupid.) I have always loved the movie adaptation of Valkyrie as a strong character and the scene where she and her other female warriors are riding in their battle suits on their Pegasus (Fun Fact- I just googled it and there is no plural of Pegasus) fills me to the brim with strength and inspiration. I mean, a whole girl gang of fierce female warriors?!

What were the challenges in creating your costume and persona?

So, I started and stopped this build several times. I won’t say this didn’t frustrate me to no end. For one, I am much more of an armor builder and foamsmith, and this project was primarily comprised of fabric materials- which was way out of my comfort zone. I’m a very novice sewer, and I had to make a full, complicated body suit with patterns on it that were incredibly hard to source. I mean it doesn’t help that I get into this crazy zone where I need things screen accurate to the millimeter and find myself staring very hard at reference photos. To get her zig-zag herringbone texture, I hunted so many stores and online spaces, only to decide to full Thanos it and “Fine, I’ll Do It Myself” the project and custom designed the pattern digitally and had it printed by Spoonflower. I sourced a great spacer fabric for the textured darker grey parts of her suit after contacting many local and not so local fabric...

Cosplayer of the week : Trisha Lou

Leo Nocedo :  How did you discover cosplaying? Trisha Lou : I’ve always loved doing costumes. Once I discovered volunteering opportunities in cosplaying characters for local non-profits, such as Costumers with a Cause & the 501st garison, I decided to do it as an opportunity to serve in the community. I love bringing smiles to children & families. Leo Nocedo :  What was your first cosplay? Trisha…