You have been cosplaying for a while. How did you first get into cosplaying?
Its been quite a few years now. I always made my own Halloween costumes or altered store bought ones as a kid. I went to my first comic book convention in 2007 (Fanexpo). I made my lydia from bettlejuice (cartoon series) cosplay, but didn’t sport it when the day came. I was way too nervous and i thought it looked terrible. After i went to fanexpo and saw all the costumes, i felt so left out. I’ve been in cosplay mode ever since.
Do you remember your first costume?
My first Halloween costume was Catwoman from Batman Returns. I was in kindgergarden, i remember bringing my Xena sword to school and telling everyone I’m “Catwoman the Warrior Princess”. My first cosplay was Lydia from Beetlejuice.
Was this costume self- made or was it purchased?
It was a terribly self made costume.
When did you first learn how to make your costumes? Which was your first costume that you had made? What were the challenges that you faced when making this costume?
I love sewing, i find it super relaxing. I always made little outfits and plushies for myself as a kid. I didn’t bust out my sewing skills for costume making until i went to my first convention. The only problem i faced was the budget. I wasn’t aware of alternate materials to use to cut down on costs. It took several of trial and error to get my groove.
The world of cosplay is very diverse. How do you decide what costumes you are going to make and wear? Do you have a method on how you pick your costumes?
I keep a list of all my favorite characters and hunt for costumes pieces throughout the year. I have several costumes on the go that are in the beginning stages or half way complete. I just wait for sales or keep an eye out for things i could harvest. Some costumes take me an entire year to make, when it could be completed in a few days if i just dished the money out for it. I refuse to do that, when i know i could make something for less than 20$ if i waited, rather than wasting hundreds.
What are the challenges that you experience when creating a new costume?
Finding all materials needed to complete it in 1 store (thats the dream). I usually have to spend a few days hitting up different shops for certain pieces. It can get pretty frustrating, but its totally worth it when you find exactly what you need.
In creating costumes how do you approach the economic elements? Do you have a favorite cloth or item that you incorporate in your costumes?
I love eyepatches. Its usually my default accessory for most costumes i make.
Do you ever recycle and reuse parts from older costumes to create new ones?
All the time. it saves so much money. Once i get my costume photographed, it immediately gets harvested for something else. I’ll sometimes keep a prop that turned out pretty cool.
You have cosplayed as both comic book characters and anime characters. What is the difference between cosplaying a comic book character rather than an anime character?
The main difference is the eyes. When i’m cosplaying an anime character, i make my eyes look bigger and more cartoon like with makeup and circle lenses.
When you cosplay do you have a particular style of anime and comic genre that you like to stay in or does it not matter to you?
Everything i love falls in the fantasy, sci fi, and horror genre.
You have also been featured in many magazines. How did you receive your first magazine shoot?
I started modelling professionally when i was 5 years old, i was scouted in a mall in Windsor, ON. My first publication was for sears magazine, lol. I modeled awful but hilarious 90s kids clothing.
In the your magazine shoots, what was the most favorite character you portrayed and why?
My favorite costume to date is my Cherri Creeper cosplay from the School Bites comic series. I was published on the cover of issue 90 this year. Being published on the cover of a comic book was one of my biggest goals. I’m stoked i got to check it off my list. Hope i get many more opportunities like that.
Making and wearing the costumes is a crucial part of cosplay, but performing is also crucial. How do you get in the mind-set of each of the characters when you are cosplaying at conventions?
I dont stay in character throughout the convention. Thats a huge commitment and kudos to the people that do that. It really creates a memorable experience. Instead, i choose the characters signature poses for photos.
Do you find that some characters are more difficult to perform than others? If so, which characters are difficult to portray?
I have that problem with my original characters. I spend more time designing the outfit, that when the day comes to photograph it. I completely forget to put thought into the poses they’d make. When that happens, i just create a personality for the character on the spot and stick with it.
Do you have a favorite costume and why is it your favorite?
My Lady Deadpool and Harley Quinn cosplays. They are both fun and wacky characters. So posing as them was a blast. i didn’t feel restricted.
Do you have a favorite series that you like to cosplay from?
YES! Cybersix. She’s been on my to do list for ages.
What advice do you have for people who want to get involved in cosplaying?
Its a lot easier now to find tutorials for costume and prop making then it was back in the day. Once you pick a character you want to bring to life. Look for tutorials online to help guide you, Deviantart, Youtube, and Cosplay.com are awesome for that. If you have a small budget. Altering things you find from thrift stores or other shops is your best bet. This is the most cost effective way for beginners and advanced cosplayers. I find that most of the time its cheaper to alter something, instead of making it from scratch.
