Pre-con interview: Veron

For our final interview before the TBCC starts (who's ready?!), we're featuring Veron, a cosplayer, model, artist, and all-around talented gal (take one look at her 8 and 1 cosplay meme, and you'll see what I mean) with an eclectic portfolio to blow your mind.

Photography by David Love Photography

Pre-con interview: Moderately Okay Cosplay

Continuing our cosplayer spotlights leading up to Tampa Bay Comic Con, today we have a brief interview with John of Moderately Okay Cosplay. Don't trust the name; his cosplays are fun and fantastic...especially if you're a League of Legends fan!

Photography by Chasis Photos

C: What was the first time you encountered cosplay, and what did you think of it at the time (versus how you think about it now)?

Photography by N/A Studio

J: The first time I encountered cosplay was in late 2012.  There was a character from League of Legends that I wanted to dress up as, but Halloween was about 10 months or so away.

So a friend of mine at the time said, "Hey, why don't you make this costume and we'll go to a convention?"

And I'm like, "Oh, like an anime convention?"  And, you know, I had never been to one before so I didn't really know what to expect, but I made my cosplay, and it was so terrible because I had no idea what I was doing.  And we got to the convention, which was a few weeks after and EVERYONE was stopping me for pictures so I was really ecstatic about it, it was definitely a really good first experience.

At the time I thought it was cool that I could dress up as anything I wanted to at any point of the year and not just have it reserved for Halloween, but now I think of cosplay more as paying homage to the characters I love and actually getting to become them.  I guess both are pretty good reasons to cosplay though!

C: How would you explain the convention experience to someone who has never been? What are your favorite parts, the parts you avoid, etc.?

Photography by Ace T. Cosplay & Photography

J: That's a hard question.  But I think the one thing to remember is that there's something there for
everyone.  You want to learn about anime/TV shows/comic books/etc?  There are panels for that.

You want to buy a bunch of cool stuff?  Conventions usually have awesome dealer rooms.

You want to cosplay for your first time?  Awesome, do it.

I think my favorite part about cons is that, for the most part, there's very little judgment.  Everyone is super open and welcoming and meeting new people is a breeze because everyone is there for the same thing, you know?

I guess the part I avoid coincides with that, and that's the people who try to start drama.  It happens in any circle, so it's not like a shock that it happens, but there are a lot of people who have egos over playing dress up, which, when you put it in writing, looks just as silly as the concept of it is.  But, like I said, I try to avoid it and just have a good time.  Life's too short!


C: What are your current "dream" cosplays, and do you have any plans to tackle them soon? Why or why not?

J: My current dream cosplays would have to be Fierce Deity Link from Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, Gambit from Marvel's X-Men, and Red Hood/Jason Todd from DC Comics' Red Hood and the Outlaws.

I am currently in the process of making Fierce Deity Link and Red Hood, and I will be making Gambit sometime in the future.  And, you know, all three are relatively simple cosplays on paper.  They aren't full armor or any massive sewing or prop-making, but I think, at least for me, they're dream cosplays because they're my favorite characters, not because of how complicated they are.

So, they're my dreams because I want to do them justice, like, do the characters justice.  I want to fully embody that character, not just be like "Eh, yeah I guess I tried on this, but I'm not happy with it."

I will actually be wearing Fierce Deity Link for my first time ever on Saturday of Tampa Bay Comic-Con!  So I'm pretty excited for that.

Photography by Papanotzzi

Thanks, John!

Find Moderately Okay on Facebook, and keep an eye open for him at TBCC!

Pre-con interview: Leaping Lizard Cosplay

This weekend, MyGeekery is heading to Florida for our first Tampa Bay Comic Con, where we'll (hopefully!) get to meet tons of new awesome people. For those of you who can't make it, we wanted to spotlight a couple of the con's coolest cosplay guests...starting with the fantastic Liz of Leaping Lizard Cosplay. Courtney touched base with Liz last week to ask a few cosplay/con-related questions...read the result beneath the cut!

Photography by NBMA Photography

Interview: The Sisters Mischief

We're giant fans of family cosplay here at MyGeekery...not least of all because some of our family does it!

If you've been tracking with us, especially at our conventions, you may have heard us mention The Sisters Mischief. Well, full disclosure: two of the five sisters help out around here, and have even run our booth. That said, we thought it was time to feature them. Well. Some of them; there are five, after all, and sometimes it's a little hard to tell them apart.

Read our interview with 3/5 of The Sisters Mischief - Ara, WonWon, and Yumi - below the cut!

Interview: The Malice of Alice & Kelly is Nice Photography

Chances are, you've seen at least some of the pictures below. It could have been on Telegraph, Buzzfeed, or Bored Panda, to name just a few; Alice and her mom Kelly's beautiful creations make an unforgettable impression. While Alice brings the modeling and the acting (one look at her portfolio of chameleon expressions and you just know she's going places), Kelly brings her camera and her eye for the the beautiful, the whimsical, the soft and then sometimes dark. They're a powerful team, but you know what my favorite part is? Their art  - Alice's cosplay and Kelly's photography - is how they spend time together. 

If you don't know their family's whole story, check it out here. Then read on below the cut for our interview with Alice and Kelly!

Interview: Aicosu

For me, getting into cosplay for the first time felt like opening a Russian nesting doll; every time I thought I'd found the end of the cosplay community and was about to step into a void on my own, I found someone out there had taken the time to make a tutorial, or already asked the questions I had, or compared eBay wigs so I wouldn't have to. Like any time you get more than one human liking the same thing each in their own way, the community has had its kerfuffles. But on the whole, I've found it to be full of fun people who are happy in their geeky skins and helpful to boot.

Sheila and Sylar of the couple cosplay team Aicosu are two such cosplayers. Their Tumblr has been an awesome resource for new and veteran cosplayers alike (Sheila is a master tutorial curator), and with over 90 cosplays in their portfolio, they've done the trial and error thing**, understand the wonder that is hot glue, and always have an encouraging word for cosplayers who might be stuck. Check out my interview with them below.

**Seriously though, it's hard to imagine the error part, because I'm pretty sure they're perfect. 

Interview: Lopti of Some Like It Blue

Giant wings. Draenei horns. A motley assortment of weapons, laid out cheek to cheek with a pile of makeup. These are just a few of the things you'd find if you were to peek into cosplayer Lopti's closet. That is, if you weren't swept away by the avalanche of wigs; she's got enough to outfit a small albeit colorful army.

Photography by The Sisters Mischief

Lopti is one of those blessed individuals who can pull off just about any look, but I love that she cosplays what she loves. Her first priority is caring about the character she then sets out to become, be it for an hour, a long day of con-going and photoshooting...or just plain old having fun. 

Check out my recent interview with her below the cut.

Interview: Costumer's Guide

The year was 2003, and The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King had just come out. I was in love. Ngila Dickson had designed the shieldmaiden Éowyn a gorgeous wardrobe, and I wanted it all. I begged my mom to teach me how to sew...but of course, couldn't sit still for five minutes so she could show me the first thing about threading a needle. Nonetheless, in the years following, I dialed-up our internet probably hundreds of times just to ogle the costumes and try and figure out how I could someday (when I was grown up) make them.

Ten (TEN!) years later, I interviewed Maggie from Costumer's Guide - one of the very sites I used to haunt. Maggie herself is a costumer, but on her Facebook page, she's also a curator of film and historical costumes in general. She shares news about new and old costumes, helpful tutorials, others' work, and a host of costume-related tidbits.

Read all about the evolution of Costumer's Guide in my interview with Maggie below!