cosplay questions… everybody’s favourite… my favourite to blog and everybody else’s favourite to skip reading!
1. One of your best cosplay memories?
I know it says “one of” but here’s a few… my first DragonCon (mind blowing!), Disney group with my best friends/meeting Chase in 2005, almost running into Stan Lee in 2010 then him giving me a hug in 2012, our tipsy moms dressed as hobbits at Dragoncon 04, finally convincing my husband to do a Zaphod to my Trillian in 2013… I’m sure there’s many more I’m not thinking of.
2. Ever met someone involved in the creation of a series you’ve cosplayed from?
Stan Lee as I said above. I met Joel, Trace and Frank while dressed as Dr Forrester last year.
I’m not too big on meeting guests so I think that’s really about it.
3. Cosplay pet peeves?
I’m going to answer this as my own personal pet peeves that *I* do… not what other people do.
I’d say when I mis-store stuff. I HAAAAAAAAATE not being able to find something, which is why I have an extensive organizational system. But sometimes I get lazy and don’t put stuff away like I should, or just for whatever reason something is missing. MidSouthCon last year my ceremonial Leia braid went missing, I tore the house apart looking for it and never could find it. Had to go buy a new one the morning of the con, finally found it in my Hippolyta bin months later. WTF? I guess it got stuck in there when I was “cleaning” but being lazy.
I also hate how I will sometimes skip on photos. I’ve worn a new costume at a con for a couple of hours, I’m tired and ready to get out of it – but haven’t taken any photos in it. I’ll say to Chase, “We’ll get some photos when I wear it tomorrow,” and then I don’t feel like wearing it again and thus get no photos of it at all!!
That’s why a lot of times you see pics of my costume taken right outside our hotel room. I’m ready to change but I just gotta take some photos of it for posterity!
I also have a tendency to get grouchy or quick-tempered when I’m in costume, directed at Chase, or Ash, or anybody who is with me. I hate that so much. I don’t ever mean anything by it and it’s been a decade long struggle to keep that in check.
Can I pick on my husband? LOL A lot of times at a con I’ll have spent an hour doing my makeup, ironing, getting into costume, doing repairs, etc… I’m all ready to go and Chase says, “Let me run to the bathroom,” and then I’m stuck sitting there (sometimes standing there if I can’t sit), uncomfortable, waiting on him to finish up in the bathroom. Now that’s a peeve!
4. Stupidest thing you’ve done for cosplay?
Oh gosh. Let me see. I’m sure there are plenty.
I’ve hotglued stuff directly onto my costume while wearing it – thankfully never directly to my skin though. I have used way-too-strong toupee tape to stick stuff to myself, resulting in horrible bruises. I’ve walked barefoot, or mostly barefoot, through disgusting hotel and convention center floors because my shoes hurt too bad. I’ve worn multiple layers of non-breathable fabrics in 95 degree Atlanta weather outside for a few hours. I’ve gotten spray tans. I’ve worn shoes I knew were too small or too wide resulting in awful blisters, even though I knew they would do that. Once I attempted all sorts of horrible tasting “herbal remedies” including disgusting parsley tea, trying to make my period come early so I wouldn’t have it during a convention (in all fairness – it actually worked.)
5. Who are four cosplayers you look up to?
There’s so many… how can I pick just one? I love seeing what all of my friends on facebook are working on.
But since I always avoid this question and just tell people to go look at my facebook “likes” list, I’m actually going to answer it this time. Here’s four costumers I just LOVE seeing new costumes from, their work is amazing and they go out of their way to share their progress & research with others.
DJSpider, Rebel’s Haven/Vera, Kay Dee, and Celtic Ruin’s Costumes.
I could greatly expand that list with lots more… I really need to start doing follow friday more often at my facebook!
6. Cosplay crushes?
CGClone, he’s so cute
7. Who is that cosplayer who inspired you to push yourself out of your comfort zone?
I can’t say I have an answer to this. Without sounding full of myself, if it’s something I’m interested in doing, I will find a way — I never look at some project and say, “that’s impossible.” And I think a big reason for that is because I’m surrounded by creative people who I know I can turn to if I get stuck, who will offer their own experience or ideas. So that’s my answer; the people who inspire me to take on whatever I want are Chase, my parents, and friends.
8. What are some of the most memorable comments you’ve received on your cosplays?
The young lady who came up to me singing Meg’s song from Hercules and then flipped out over my Star Wars tattoo – my fav moment when wearing Meg!
“The FISH movie! You’re from the FISH MOVIE!” – while wearing Trillian. She was thinking of “So Long and Thanks for all the Fish.”
“I always did like that corseted look!” – Terry Pratchett, commenting on my Susan costume
multiple people yelling, “AMOK AMOK AMOK!” at us in our Hocus Pocus costumes.
“Make way for THE PRINCESS!” – bellowed at the crowd by a security guard at Dragoncon 03, while I was trying to get through in my Padme senate gown.
“You wear that costume very well.” – gentleman complimenting my Wonder Woman
“OMG It’s a full on Darkchilde!!” – my Magik costume at Dcon 2010
“You can tell how much acting goes into [your] photos.” – Gail Simone! I died.
“DARTH VADER! HEY, DARTH VADER!” – some guy trying to get my attention from across the street while I was dressed as Princess Leia.
“That’s Lessa, she’s got that look on her face!” – guy in the audience at the Pern costume contest. While this may not sound like the best comment, I was trying to have a bitchy, tough demeanor and I apparently succeeded, it made me so happy!
“OOOH! That must be the QUEEN! Here comes the queen, yall!” – a lady in the crowd shouting and pointing at my Arwen costume in the Dcon parade in 2004.
“That’s the best physical representation of a senshi skirt I’ve ever seen,” – about my Eternal Jupiter costume.
“What do you mean there are no cool costumes here? Look at her!” – guy pointing me out to his friend while I was dressed as Ocha, Dcon 2002.
9. Comfort over accuracy, or it’s not cosplay until you’re in pain?
COMFORT… all the way. Even when aiming for comfort things still get uncomfortable! I’ve always aimed for wear-ability/comfort, though less so in my early years. The older I get the more important it is for me to make things that I am comfortable wearing for long periods of time.
10. Cosplay typecast(s)?
Strong women in general; often some kind of royalty. Characters who possess a strength and self-assurance I aspire to.
11. Is there a type of character you’ll never cosplay?
I’m not into doing guy costumes. I’ve thought about it a few times. There was a time I wanted to be Jack Sparrow but never did it. Guy costumes just generally are not interesting to me — but I guess I wouldn’t discount it completely.
I’ll probably never do something super skimpy ever again. I’m getting too old for that and it’s just not comfortable anymore.
12. Most embarrassing cosplay memory?
Falling down the carpeted Marriott stairs last year. Thankfully it was early in the morning and hardly anybody saw it. My sandals with no traction just slid right out from underneath me and I just kinda sat right down onto the next step.
Nearly passing out after the Dragoncon parade in 2008… it was when I was really sick with the anemia stuff, and I just barely made it to the end of the parade route. The group in front of me kept going around the building instead of entering the backside of the Marriott, so I thought they were rerouting people and kept following them (turns out they were just going elsewhere). Ending up walking all the way around to the front of the hotel, uphill, in the heat. I was dizzy, blurred vision, couldn’t catch my breath… finally made it into the lobby and collapsed into a chair. I think I did black out for a couple of seconds once I made it there. Thankfully the bulk of the crowd was outside so this was not witnessed by anyone.
Another Dragoncon parade one — in 2004 when I wore Arwen, the laces of my boots got tangled together. I could not get them untangled at all, couldn’t stop — my group was already falling behind the much faster group ahead of us. No amount of little leg shakes was getting them free. I walked the majority of the parade basically hobbled at the knee. What gave me the energy to get through that? That woman yelling “here comes the queen” as I mentioned above!
13. Most embarrassing cosplay photo?
Oh, there’s plenty. I’ve found pictures where I’m just standing in the background with a stupid look on my face. I’ve found pics where you can see my underwear (albeit, it was matching underwear, but still), I’ve found pics where I’m actually smiling with my teeth showing before I went through the final phase of fixing them post-braces (EEK!). Pics where I forgot to do one last armpit shave before heading out in costume.
But I have to go with this one…
The pics of me in my Beatrix costume at my first Animazement are so so so bad. I have no makeup on, my hair wouldn’t curl, my costume was falling apart. So very sad. So very embarrassing.
14. Who is your cosplay crew (AKA the people you collab with the most)?
Chase, Ash, Cat! I guess that’d be it.
15. Best bystander experience?
I’m having a hard time thinking of anything for this one.
I’ll just pick something funny that happened that didn’t really involve me – we were lined up on the Hilton patio stairs at the start of the big Marvel shoot one year, and out pops Dean Stockwell for a smoke. He was totally confused as to why he’d just found himself smack in the middle of 200 costumers. Somebody near by explained it for him, he just nodded, smoked his cigar and got out of the way, haha.
I’ve heard the same thing has happened with Tom Felton in the past, too.
16. Best photoshoot?
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.
There’s been a lot of good ones. It’s a toss up between my Marie Antoinette pics under the arch at Dragoncon 2011 and my Kingdom Come Wonder Woman pics from the Parthenon in 2007.
17. Ever had any interactions with kids while you’ve been in cosplay?
Oh lots… here’s some favs, both of which I’ve told before elsewhere.
In 2007 the 501st did a fundraiser for make-a-wish at a mall. We had Vader, Chewie, Fett, stormtroopers, clonetroopers, etc – and me as Leia. In these situations, I know I’m not the most popular – kids will always zero in on Vader or Chewie or Boba Fett. I’m mostly there to try to calm down kids who are a little scared of the masks, or for the occasional princess-loving girl. (There’s a large section of little girls who go straight for Vader!)
This fundraiser ended up being wildly popular, with the line snaking all the way through the mall and out the door. We hadn’t expected that. So we were slammed. I’m posing kneeling on the floor in front of the guys, so as to wrangle the little or nervous ones to face the camera for the photo. We finish one group and the next kid comes up – he’s this tiny little Asian boy, wearing big glasses. To my surprise, he complete ignores all the cool guys in the back and comes straight over to me. He snuggles in right next to me, looks up at me and holds his hand out. In his hand he has the little Galactic Heroes Leia figure. I made a fuss over him, because he was so adorable. He never said anything the entire time. We took our picture and off he went. My day was made.
I did a princess birthday party a few years ago as Belle. There was one little girl dressed like Cinderella, who was very shy and quiet. She latched onto me and held me hand almost the entire time. She rode in my lap when we took the carriage ride later. She was a doll.
One year at Dragoncon a little girl dressed like Batgirl came up to me for a picture when I was dressed as Belle. I greeted her as Batgirl and she said, “I’m not Batgirl. I’m Batman!” Her mom apologized but I just wanted to congratulate her on having such an awesome kid.
18. Any funny experiences being misidentified as a certain character?
Belle – Scarlet O’Hara
An actual bride – Donna Runaway Bride (understandable! but i was in the middle of the dragoncon crowd..)
“Wash cloth girl” – Trillian
Supergirl – any Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman – any Supergirl
Random steampunk girl – Jane (it’s steam but it’s not punk)
Cinderella – Sleeping Beauty
Padme – Leia (ALL THE TIME)
Leia – Padme (ALL THE TIME), Darth Vader (see random guy yelling at me in #8)
A ballerina – Giselle
Hawkgirl – Kingdom Come Wonder Woman (sooooooooo many times. i get it tho.)
Spider-woman – Dark Phoenix
Darth Maul – Mara Jade
“What are you supposed to be, like, a girl Harry Potter?” – points for trying, Hermione
The Girl from Gate Keepers – Tohru
Random Fantasy Barbarian Chick – She-Ra
19. What’s something you’ve made that looks decent in photos but in reality, you just royally half-assed?
My Glimmer boot pieces were pretty half-assed but they look ok. I had to go back and redo them after Dragoncon. I could NOT get them to glue onto the boot covers, tried sewing them down at the last minute and ended up with a needle injury LOL. I was so mad at those things.
My Dr Forrester was originally pretty half-baked because I just threw it together for work. I punched it up a bit later, it’s still not perfect but it looks ok in photos.
My first set of Marie Antoinette TARDIS window panes were awful and last minute — though I don’t think they looked ok in photos, either. Was never a giant fan of my tiny hat, either – I guess that comes across ok in photos though.
My Selene boot covers were super half-assed because I had to cobble them together in secret since I wanted it to be a surprise for Chase. Hard to work on a surprise costume when we were in our first apartment together, LOL.
Marasiah Fel kinda falls into this category. I didn’t give the costume enough time to finish it right, always meant to revisit it but I never did.
Cammy… I mean I guess it looked ok in photos but the arm pieces were falling apart and the leg stripes had spirit gum stains on them.
OH! And my first pair of Slave Leia boot toppers. They were craft foam and were seriously bad. Can’t say they really looked ok in photos though.
20. Name a cosplay cheat.
Up,down,left,down,down,left,down,down,left,down,down,down,left,right.