Its been said that everything is better with Pirates,
everything is better with Zombies, but when it comes to events I believe - and take it from a guy who had his wedding on Halloween -everything is better
with costumes!
And when I say everything, I mean everything, weddings,
parties, meetings, and even non-genre conventions. I took my wife, then
girlfriend, to an incredibly mundane hospitality convention (she married me anyway) and we still
talk about that event because we got to meet the Procter and Gamble mascot, Mr. Clean. Since then I have been to many a dull event that has
been brighten and made memorable by some amazing, creative, wacky human taking
the time and energy to dress for the occasion. Now in 2015 we have a diverse culture of cosplayers that dress up at genre conventions, bringing to life
characters that could only come from the human imagination. Their tenacity,
courage, ingenuity, and yes skill in bringing our favorite pop culture icons to life is
what I enjoy most about conventions.
But besides the few seconds required to snap a picture, I’ve
never had the opportunity to ask the many questions I have regarding why they
do what they do, what’s involved, and how does one even get started in cosplay?
As the San Diego Comic Con approaches, I thought it would be a great time to
try and get some answers. Three talented cosplayers took the time to answers my
queries on the subject. Here is a bit about them first, and at the bottom of this post you'll find links to follow them on their ongoing cosplay adventures.
Jessica Edmonds has been involved with cosplay all her life and is best known for her Punk Harley Quinn and Scarred up Helena from Orphan Black. Her favorite convention is the San Diego Comic Con which she will be at this year along with other appearances at Comikaze and Star Trek Vegas.
 |
| Jessica Edmonds - Punk Harley Quinn |
Lord Vishus Cosplay (Chris Meador) is relatively new to cosplay having been involved
for two years now. He's best known for his Agent 47/Hitman and Sith Lord
Vishus to name just a few. His favorite con is Comicpalooza, and you can see
him at STCE Laredo and Del Rio Comic Con.
 |
| Lord Vishus Cosplay - Magneto |
Christina Tellifson /
Booba Fett has been dressing up in costume for events like movie premiers since
she was a kid. She is known for her Apocalypse Alice in Wonderland, Luke
Skywalker, Darth Fenris, and many others. Her favorite con is Star Wars
Celebration. She will be at the San Diego Comic Con this year rocking Elena
from Uncharted 4, Star Lord, and Cid Highwind from Final Fantasy VII. Then
later this year at Dragon Con as Ms. Marvel.
 |
| Christina Tellifson - Apocalypse Alice in Wonderland |
Interview
KEVIN: There sometimes is a moment or an event that
motivates people to try something new. What inspired you to try cosplay?
JESSICA: I was
pretty much born into it. My mother is a costumer so childhood was full of
playing dress up. Costumes weren't just for Halloween, if we wanted a replica
costume she made it for us. My family also ran a game booth at Ren Faires up
and down California. I was two weeks old at my first Ren Faire, so costuming is
in my blood.
LORD VISHUS: I was attended Amazing Arizona Comic Con in
2013 and saw all the amazing costumes and the people having fun and wanted to
be a part of it.
CHRISTINA: I have always loved costuming and pouring my creative soul into
characters I love and have an affinity for. When I realized there was a whole
community of people who love to do the same, I was sold. I was super nervous to
wear a costume to my first SDCC in 2009, but was so thrilled when people
complimented me and got excited by what I was wearing (Celes from Final Fantasy
VI).
 |
| Christina - Rebel Pilot |
JESSICA: As a
super shy kid costumes gave me the chance to be someone else. Someone, well,
not shy. By taking on attributes of strong, brave, and confident characters you
slowly find that those attributes are now your own. Cosplay let me explore
different people, and in that, different parts of myself. And I know that
greatly influenced my interest in acting.
LORD VISHUS: I now have some of the best friends that I
have ever had in my life.
CHRISTINA: Cosplay
and the con circuit has hugely impacted my life. Not only is it a creative
outlet for me and a stress reliever, but I've made long lasting relationships
with friends that I otherwise wouldn't have. I've learned so many skills sewing
and prop building wise, so it keeps me sharp. It is also an extremely wonderful
confidence booster.
KEVIN: What is your most elaborate and or expense
cosplay project? Success?
JESSICA: Several come
to mind. One would be my Punk Harley Quinn. While it wasn't super costly it has
a lot of pieces and I worked on it with several people. Working off a sketch I
made the mallet with my buddies at Foam Junkies and my buddy Maurio took on the
bulk of the armor. My mom took on the bulk of
LORD VISHUS: My Sith Lord Vishus costume has cost me over
$1500, due to having almost the entire costume remade and upgraded.
CHRISTINA: I
would say Harley Quinn was my most expensive costume project. I was a complete
noob and purchased the body suit online. I also had to buy two sets of boots
and gloves so I could have alternating colors. Currently, Captain Phasma from
Episode VII will be my most expensive and time consuming project. All the
chrome!!!!
KEVIN: What is your best cosplay convention
celebrity meeting story? Ever meet your idol?
 |
| Jessica and Lori Petty |
JESSICA: My all
time favorite character is Tank Girl. Lori Petty as Tank Girl to be exact. It's
the character that helped me break out of my shell, not care what people
thought, and embrace my weirdness. The first time I met Lori my knees buckled
and I nearly fell over shaking. I mean it's her! It's freakin Tank Girl! She
was absolutely amazing and every bit as cool as I thought she would be. The
thing is, now I see her around all the time. Probably about twice a year I work
a con with her. Sometimes only a few tables down. She is just a really cool and
chill person to talk with I sometimes stop and think "Omg, I hanging with
Tank Girl!" I'm still not sure she gets how much that character means to
me and how much she influenced the person I grew to be. Maybe she does, but at
least she never makes me feel weird about it
 |
| Chris and Philip J. Fry |
LORD VISHUS: If I had to pick one then I'd have to say
that meeting voice actor Billy West who voiced Phillip J. Fry on Futurama is
definitely my favorite moment.
CHRISTINA: My favorite con story is meeting George R.R. Martin at SDCC. I
was having a miserable time and my friend tapped me on the shoulder and told me
to turn around. He was standing there waving me over and I couldn't believe
 |
| Christina and George R.R. Martin |
KEVIN: If
you could drop one piece of sage-like wisdom on someone interested in getting
into cosplay, what would it be?
JESSICA: Have
fun! Don't let people make you feel like it's some elite club. Do what makes you
happy and have fun with it!
 |
| Chris - Hitman |
LORD VISHUS: For a first timer here in Texas, I'd say
start off in a small convention like Texas Comic
Con in San Antonio or Heart of
Texas Con in Waco. It will give you a really good entry level taste of the fun
of conventions and cosplay.
CHRISTINA: My
advice to new cosplayers is JUST DO IT! *insert Shia LeBeof's inspirational
video* Pick a character you love and pour your heart into it. You CAN do it,
and you'll be so proud of what you can accomplish. And remember, have fun
and don't worry about anyone else. Reach out to the community for advice and
help - there are so many forums and threads for all skill levels!
KEVIN: It seems there is a real genuine cosplay
community, a network of craftspeople and artist, supportive, social, talented,
and very outgoing. What do you love about the cosplay community?
JESSICA: I love
that it creates instant camaraderie. I almost enjoy cosplaying a subtle/lesser
known/minor character more than a big attention grabbing one. That way you know
the few people that get who you are, are also big fans. You instantly have
something in common to geek out about and I've made some amazing friends that
way. I also love that it puts makers in the spotlight. Often costumers,
fabricators and prop makers are unsung heroes. But in cosplay they are rock
stars.
 |
| Christina - THOR |
LORD VISHUS: I love the openness of the cosplay
community. I love how people are so willing to share tips and techniques
for working on various aspects of props and costumes.
CHRISTINA: Trying
to pick just one thing I love most about the cosplay community is rough. It's
so multi faceted for me. I suppose if I had to pick one thing, it would be the
passion we all share and the over all support and love we all have for each
other and the craft. Geeks unite!
KEVIN: All communities change over time. What
changes, good or bad, have you noticed in your time as a cosplayer?
JESSICA: I love
that it helps people step out of their comfort zone and have fun. And the
bigger it gets the
more people are included in that, which is nice. But along
with that comes the bullies. Elitists who seem to go out of their way to
belittle the work of others. They are divas who think they have reached some
higher level of cosplay. And it takes something fun and turns it into a
environment of judgment and alienation. |
| Jessica Edmonds |
LORD VISHUS: The good thing is the fact that cosplay
hasn't been a "fad." It's definitely not going away. The
bad thing would be so many people wanting to be a cosplay
"Pro." Some people are forgetting why they got into cosplay in
the first place, which is to have fun. They get hung up on the need to
have a booth and sell prints and be a huge cosplayer in the
community.
CHRISTINA: The
cosplay community is ever changing. I love seeing new costumers emerge and
seeing the con floors littered with people sporting their newest costume. The
community is growing, that's for sure. The only negative things I can really
say are people who say they want to be famous or "cosplay famous."
Stop it. Do it because you love it. The notoriety will follow on its own.
KEVIN: In the past few years several conventions
like PAX, and some Tech cons, have put the kybosh on “booth babes,” and some
think this may have some overlap into the cosplay community, possibly placing
new restrictions on costumes. Do you see the eliminating of the babes in the
booth as having repercussions on the cosplay community?
JESSICA: The "Booth Babe" issue is
kind of tricky. I have no problem with booth babes, in fact I've worked as a
booth babe a few times. I think the real problem is when both booth babes and
cosplayers think they can walk around nearly naked (sometimes actually naked)
but it's ok because "It's just a costume". There needs to be a
standard of decency. If you are walking around showing more skin or being more
sexual than would be allowed on basic cable we have a problem. Especially when
kids are present, which is the case at most conventions. Removing booth babes
isn't the answer, implementing common sense decency guidelines is.
LORD VISHUS: Not all. PAX is "PAX."
It's not a fair example of the average convention. More and more artist
are picking cosplayers to help lure people to their booths, and I don't see
that ending any time soon.
CHRISTINA: As
someone who works and attends expos such as E3 and PAX, I believe there is a
place and time for models or "booth babes" to work. It certainly has
caused controversy and unrest with some. I think, as long as the models know
their product and are professional, they are a valid con/expo existence. These
companies hiring them need to realize there are real sexy, geeky models who can
do just that. But I've seen people treat these models badly and humiliate them,
and that's not okay, ever.
 |
| Christina - Darth Fenris |
KEVIN: Many events like WonderCon are promoting the
Cosplay is NOT consent slogan in an attempt to protect cosplayers from unwanted
attention at events. But still there seems to be a problem. Recently Cosplayer
Luna Lanie had a disturbing experience at MomoCon and has been speaking out
about the incident? Have you run into this problem, and what techniques can you
share to help keep new cosplayers safe.
JESSICA: And this
is where I show some of my contempt for PC bandwagons. Let me be clear.
Inappropriate touching, comments, and actions are NEVER acceptable. That being
said, if you willingly engage in certain behavior or a ridiculous state of
undress you are making yourself vulnerable. If I walked into a poor neighborhood
waving around cash I'm increasing my chances or being robbed. If I walk around
with my boobs pushed up to my chin I'm increasing my chances of oogling stares
and comments. Am I saying that behavior is ok? No. But if you actively put
yourself in a vulnerable position you share the responsibility of the outcome,
good or bad. This isn't victim blaming. It's a matter of being smart and
responsible for your own actions. When I dressed as Slave Leia in the notorious
gold bikini I was very aware of the attention I would receive when walking into
a convention with thousands of geeks who most certainly had serious crushes on
that character. That was the cosplay where I received the most inappropriate
looks, comments and physical contact. And while none of that behavior was ok, I
knew it was a strong probability. So to help ensure my safety I did a couple's
cosplay with my over 6 foot tall boyfriend at the time who was dressed as
Lando. Before we even got in the front door he physically pulled someone off
me. He ran interference for me all day. You can never predict exactly how a
stranger will behave. If you don't want that kind of attention steer clear of
provocative costumes. And make sure you are always with someone who is able to
protect you if need be. |
| Chris Meador |
LORD VISHUS: In my opinion just highlighting the problem
isn't going to make it go away. The guys that are acting in this manner do
not care if people make an issue out of it. They see a pretty girl and
they flirt and act inappropriate towards them. You may be able to catch
the odd individual and maybe "name and shame" them, but it's never going
to fully go away. I by means support or justify their behavior. I
just know that the problem will continue to rear its ugly head at every
convention regardless of how much awareness is placed on it. Some guys
simply do not care.
CHRISTINA: The
Cosplay is not Consent movement was actually started by Ellie Schweizer from my
old site, 16-bit Sirens. The idea was that harassment is never acceptable
and cons should help provide a safe environment for all attendees. I've
experienced lewd comments and people trying to grope me, yes. I make it clear
verbally and physically that I am not okay with the situation. If this
ever happens, tell someone right away. It's also always good to have friends
around. Not only can they help you get around with better ease while you're in
costume, but safety in numbers will hopefully detour any creeps from bothering
you. Don't be afraid to speak up if you're uncomfortable or nervous.
There's always someone there to have your back.
KEVIN: Anything else, final thoughts?
JESSICA: For the newcomers to cosplay I really just want to stress that the whole experience is suppose to be fun. Designing, researching, construction, convention. All of it. Don't ever feel like your cosplays are somehow not good enough. Always be excited about improving, always enjoy what you do. Remember the details. You can have a huge elaborate costume, but it will be the tiny reference to a single joke or episode that will make it memorable. Make sure it's something you can function in for long periods of time. Think of the silly things too, can you go to the bathroom in it? Can you carry your phone/wallet in it? Can you get through a crowd in it? Are you going to need people to assist you throughout the con, or help dress and undress you?
JESSICA: For the newcomers to cosplay I really just want to stress that the whole experience is suppose to be fun. Designing, researching, construction, convention. All of it. Don't ever feel like your cosplays are somehow not good enough. Always be excited about improving, always enjoy what you do. Remember the details. You can have a huge elaborate costume, but it will be the tiny reference to a single joke or episode that will make it memorable. Make sure it's something you can function in for long periods of time. Think of the silly things too, can you go to the bathroom in it? Can you carry your phone/wallet in it? Can you get through a crowd in it? Are you going to need people to assist you throughout the con, or help dress and undress you?
 |
| Christina - The Crow |
CHRISTINA: I just
want to say, whoever you are reading this, if you want to express yourself
creatively through the form of cosplay, please do! I, for one, wholly welcome
you. Jump on in, the water is fine.
Jessica Edmonds
is an actress living it Los Angles, Ca. If you put Tank Girl and Carol Burnett
into a martini mixer, then added an actual martini, and shook it up she would
be the result. You can find her on the random film set, comic con or autograph
convention, or at her apartment running her youtube channel while watching
netflix. Though acting is her primary focus, she has an extensive background in
technical theater. Having worked for years in set construction, props, stage
crew and even general construction for a time. When she is not nerding out over
her favorite shows and making prop and costume replicas for her and her niece,
she is sleeping. Which she enjoys very much.
YouTube channel www.youtube.com/howireact
Photos on Cosplay.com http://www.cosplay.com/member/155179/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessi.edmonds?fref=ts
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessi.edmonds?fref=ts
Twitter and Instagram @little_ewok
Lord Vishus regularly appears as a guest at Cons across
Texas, and has started his own comic book/costuming convention called Hero Con
in Austin.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LordVishus
Twitter: @LordVishus
Christina Tellifson is an actress, gamer, cosplayer from
central California, and believes Han shot first! Follow her on Twitter and
Instagram: BoobaFett83, and her cosplay page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ctellifson
No comments:
Post a Comment