From the Cajun’s Mouth: Interview with Gambit Cosplayer
Comic book designs are NOT realistic . . . the chest plate makes it impossible to sit.—Riley
Riley, or @cajuncajole, is the closest you get to the mutant himself—natural-born Cajun, ex-pat of his native Louisiana, cat-lover with a heart o’ gold—except Riley steps the non-thievin’ side of life. Like Gambit, Riley's a polymath: a professional in a veterinarian clinic, freelance visual artist, musician, podcaster, Rogue & Gambit forum host, and fanfic author. And did I mention he’s an active cosplayer?
After writing a visual analysis about Gambit’s uniform, I thought: Who knows this costume better than a cosplayer? Who better understands the pains and joys of breastplates and dusters than fellow Romy fan, Riley?
That’s right. Gambit in the house.
So why Gambit? Was there something particular about Gambit's look or story that pulled you toward cosplaying him?
Gambit has been my favorite since I saw him in one of my cousin's comics way back in 1990. I couldn't tell you which one it was, but being Cajun, I was automatically drawn to him and he became my favorite because we shared that same history. I got into cosplay in the fall of 2013 and decided I wanted to cosplay Gambit that following year, because he was my favorite character of all time, so it only made sense to do so.
What do you think makes Gambit's uniform special?
It's so iconic! Especially if you're cosplaying his traditional 90s uniform. Everyone recognizes it and knows it's Gambit. Not only from the bright pinkish chest plate and head gear, but his awesome jacket and playing cards!
While you were developing or constructing your costume, were there any big surprises? Any unexpected discovery about the design or about Gambit himself that you weren't expecting?
Everything has to be modified. That's just how it is. Comic book designs are NOT realistic. I think the biggest thing was the head gear. There was NO way that thing was going to stay in place on my cheeks, so my first run looked silly. I had to use spirit gum and still do! Another thing is the chest plate makes it IMPOSSIBLE to sit . . . So, that is still becoming a thorn in my side. My most recent cosplay is better, but could still be modified so I can sit more comfortably. Also, the jacket is EXTREMELY difficult to swing a staff around in. I actually practice the staff and it's quite challenging to do so wearing a trench coat / duster. Another thing that looks great in comics but isn't really realistic. It can be done, but not as graceful as Gambit, lol.
Of all of Gambit's costumes over the years in canon, which is your favorite?
Ugh, that's a tough one! If I HAD to choose, I'd go with his modern one. It's not as flashy as his original suit and the colors are dulled down, but that familiarity is still there.
Of all your costumes, which is your favorite?
I would have to go with my most recent one, which is his modern one. I've actually modified it to where the leg straps make sense and added pouches. Also—the cats! I have 3 plushie cats that go with the cosplay.
(Below are four examples of Riley’s art)
Can you describe a bit of the process that goes into making your favorite of these costumes?
The biggest thing is narrowing down exactly which uniform I want to do. Then, I decide on how difficult it'll be to make it. I actually get help from friends who know foam better than I do, so they've been a HUGE help. I try to give myself a reasonable amount of time before a convention so I have a chance to test everything out and see if it works. My first cosplay, I spent $500+ in the span of a year just putting it all together. I made the chest piece out of a paintball armored shirt and painted it. The hardest thing was finding the right jacket. Luckily, I've found some cheap ones off of Etsy and eBay, but my most 2 recent jackets were in the $100 range. I save up for these things, because who can just drop that kinda money? One costume that didn't go anywhere was All New X-Factor. I have the jacket, but everything else fell through.
How have other fans (or strangers) responded to seeing you in costume?
People have responded well! They know who I am and they absolutely LOVED the cats. I've done several photo shoots with other X-Men fans and it's been a complete blast! Gambit fans appreciated the cats and wanted to hold them for pictures. It's great when people understand your cosplay down to the props!
To hear Riley’s dulcet tones, listen to Bon Temps!, a terrific podcast featuring Riley and other fans, about Romy and the fandom, which you may support by donating to the site or by PayPaling [email protected].
To see more of his art, check out his Instagram: @laissez_le_bon_temps_rouler.
You may spot Gambit, Figaro, Lucien, and Oliver at conventions such as MegaCon Orlando & Tampa, MetroCon, FusionCon, and Tampa Bay Comic Con.
Many thanks to @CajunCajole for agreeing and participating to this interview! You were a delight!
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X-men Origins: Interview with Romy Writer Ludi-ling
It was nice to know I wasn’t alone—not that I was embarrassed by the fact that I wrote fanfic. It just put a name to what I was doing.
If you ship characters Rogue and Gambit (Romy), @ludi-ling hardly needs introduction. Author of thirty works, she’s best known for two novels: House of Cards—which imagines Rogue and Gambit surviving the Days of Future Past universe—and 52 Pickup—wherein they lie, cheat, and fall in love, in a cyberpunk future.
Ludi is a Renaissance woman: Information Science PhD, with a specialty in fan studies, and accomplished visual artist—see below! She’s the bee’s knees, the cat’s meow ... with a soul dark as the scream you can’t scream because your mouth is taped.
Reading her work is like walking through an abandoned city. Most of the streetlamps don’t work; it’s moonlight glancing off broken glass that guides your step. The noise you hear is either the breeze or someone weeping. Still, the air smells like eucalyptus, it’s cool and it refreshes you. You’re excited in the knowledge that whatever’s ahead of you ... you’re not ready.
I believe you're currently writing a sequel to 52 Pickup, which concludes with our heroes romantically united. Have recent titles, like Rogue & Gambit (R&G) and Mr. & Mrs. X (MMX), or the marriage! affected the way you approach your latest work?
Haha, yes, the infamous sequel that may nor may not ever get finished! ;) I would say, no, R&G, MMX or the marriage, have not affected it. 52 Pickup is its own contained universe, and what is happening there is so very different from what is happening in canon. Mind you, at the end of the latest issue of MMX #5, I did get the sense that maybe Rogue feels a little awkward of walking into Remy’s life, and that perhaps there is the potential that she would have difficulty coming to terms with fitting herself into what he has built. That is actually an issue in Crazy 8′s (the sequel to 52PU) that I have been tackling. Anna has abandoned a life without real roots to settle down with Remy, who's built his own life in London. He has a job, friends, a social life, an apartment of his own—Anna has none of those things, and it becomes difficult for her to deal with the fact that everything in her current life belongs to him—that she is fitting herself around his life. I can see that happening, though to a lesser degree, in MMX. I'm not sure it's a path Kelly Thompson would want to go down, considering the current tone of the title.
When did you begin writing fanfiction?
I started writing Romy fanfiction in 2003. Most of that stuff was not actually posted on the internet (a lot of it was smut that was supposed to be anchored in a wider storyline that never got written). As for fanfic in general—I started writing it quite young. The first real piece of fanfic I wrote would have been for Sailor Moon, back in about 1994 (when I was 13).
What spurred you to suddenly sit down and do it? Did you read other fanfiction, and realize, "I can do this," or did you do it solo, only to discover other people did the same?
I was just so interested and, I supposed, immersed in the Sailor Moon world, and so in love with the characters (especially Sailor Mars) that I felt the urge to write further stories that were all my own, and that expanded the universe in some way.
At the time, I did not know the fanfiction itself existed as a phenomenon. I would not discover that until a few years later, about 1998, when I was obsessed with the video game Final Fantasy 7, and went looking for news and information on it online. I then discovered that fanfiction existed, and it was nice to know I wasn't alone—not that I was particularly embarrassed by the fact that I wrote fanfic at all. It just put a name to what I was doing.
What is it about writing fanfiction that appeals to you, personally?
It is the fact that I can flex my creative writing muscles and show my love of a certain world and characters at the same time. It is the fact that I can write meaningful and enjoyable fiction about these worlds that other people also find meaningful and enjoyable. It is the adding to that world, and the ability to improve upon, muse on, and fill the gaps in the original canon. It is the way it opens one up to a wider community, and even to make friends with fellow fans.
What is the first piece you wrote—and is it available online or in the dustbin of history? Do you recall what inspired that first piece?
The first piece of fanfic I wrote was the Sailor Moon one—it was handwritten in a notebook, and I honestly can’t remember what it was called. Because it was handwritten, it was never typed up—it's never been posted online, since, by the time I was on the internet, I'd long lost interest in Sailor Moon. It may be around my house somewhere. I did look a few months ago, and alas, I couldn't track it down.
As for Romy—the first things I wrote for that were nameless scenes and not full, titled stories. They are definitely not online, unless they've now been inserted into wider fics. These would be from the Insurrection X-Men universe, that my sister and I created way back in 2003, with a plan to submit a comic to Marvel's now-defunct Epic imprint. The Insurrection universe was never completed, but what I wrote of it can be found on my old website at http://www.ludis-x-art.co.uk/fanfics/alternate/insurrection.html.
I'm not precisely sure of the chronology of your oeuvre, but for me, Rogue Psychology seems to be the moment you began working with a larger canvas and grappling with more complex character work and plotting. In comparison to some of the later long pieces, it seems less shapely, in that it's not quite a novel and not quite a multiparter with distinct sections (though it appears to). Am I onto something? Was RP a game-changer for you? Do you have any thoughts particular to the construction of RP?
Ah, so, Rogue Psychology was one of the fics in the X-Men Insurrection series. RP was basically a chapter from a wider story. The Insurrection series of fics (all written out of order) were my first attempt at putting together an entire AU world, which I only managed to fully realise in House of Cards, I think. So it's definitely not a novel and definitely not a multiparter, but several scenes that will never be strung together, because the rest of the story in-between is just not there (and, at this juncture, never will be, lol).
Thinking back on the Insurrection stuff, I think it was where the characters of Rogue and Gambit, and maybe just the X-Men universe at large, started to really gel for me. Things like Gambit's relationship to Sinister is one recurring theme in my stories that comes to mind. I feel bad about not completing it, because Insurrection was going to be where I wrote about how Remy progressed to being the Witness, but ... that never happened.
You're best known for writing the House of Cards trilogy and 52 Pickup. Are there other works you're particularly proud of that you'd like people to read next?
The work I'm next best proud of is Threads—but I know that it can be a demanding read for some, so I would say, if it doesn't work for you, don't force yourself to read it! ;)
This begins a series of posts in which I interview Ludi about her work. Future posts will delve deeper on her recurring themes and where all that darkness comes from!
