Introduction - What is it like being a Cosplayer?

My name is Jennivere and I'm a cosplayer of 2 years. I was introduced to it by various friends who, over the years, became increasing engrossed in the world of cosplay. As a photographer, I've worked closely with costume designers and stylists to create visually appealing photo sets, but I didn't utilize these costumes or skills in any cosplay action. It wasn't until I joined the SCA (Society of Creative Anachronism) and attended Dragon Con (a huge science fiction and fantasy convention that I became hooked. In the SCA, we focus on creating historically accurate costumes and trade skills but there's wiggle room for the more fantasy-minded and it serves as a wonderful foundation for cosplay and fantastical interpretations. My good friend and I decided we would attend Dragon Con for the first time in 2013 and we did minor cosplays; a pair of elves, steampunk pirates and Star Wars characters. What we saw at the convention ignited a flame, we connected with fans who shared our passion for Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, World of Warcraft and various other stories, television series, and fiction literature. We set to create a greater quantity and quality costumes for the following year and, like a snowball, it keeps growing from there.

What are your next goals?

That draenei warrior is burning in my mind and I feel I must see it through to completion. I'm going to a total body commitment and will be getting to the gym to firm and bulk up slightly. I'd also like to create Arwen's red and blue dress as close to canon as possible and have a more graceful cosplay to balance my warrior class.

Cosplay Characters

An elf and steampunk pirate are my go-to's and have become "casual wear" for conventions. Since 2013, where I was a Nightsister in the Dragon Con parade, I sought to make a more fitting character for my personality and body type so my Nightsister transformed to a Sith marauder. I wear both a human Sith and twi'lek Sith cosplay. The lekku on the twi'lek get a bit heavy so it's only for limited occasions and photo-ops. I feel more "in my skin" as warrior class character and plan to create a Draenei warrior cosplay from my favorite MMORPG World of Warcraft. I've learned that if you're going to pursue convention cosplays it's best to have your go-to's which look great but are mostly comfortable then have one show-stopper. After a few years, you'll find you have a week's worth of show-stopping costumes and you can cycle through or adapt and it becomes much easier. It's very intimidating at first, getting into cosplay, and you should definitely look at it like a snowball: start small and keep building on it. The ball becomes much easier to handle until it's large enough to become self sufficient and all you have to do it push it downhill.

What does Cosplay mean to you?

The community means most to me, in cosplay, and though we don't see each other everyday or ever really become friends in the traditional sense, at conventions and together we connect instantly. Cosplay is a wonderful culture of fans who are passionate about the stories and characters they aspire to emulate. You have retail workers, scientists, teachers, medical workers and more professions who come together here and in this shared passion we connect whereas we might not ever meet in the mundane world. The costumes themselves tell you a lot about the wearer. The warrior wants to appear and feel strong. The anime characters are so deep and full of metaphorical consideration often overlooked for their bright colors and flamboyant personalities. The dragon is a most powerful creature and mysterious, the wearer of such a noble costume is sure to have much to tell in regards to crafting said costume and their reasons for wearing it. Cosplay is not just costumes and nerd/geek fandom. It's an art all on it's own and deserve consideration and respect.

Who have been your biggest influences/role models/mentors?

My good friend Jana is the most influential person in cosplay. Together we pour over ideas and fabrics and with her seamstress skills we build our cosplays and critique each other. We seek not only to wear it, but to embody the character and it's an incredible experience. Our fellow cosplayers are the other major player in this. A community is necessary for the progression and survival of a skill and artistic vision.

Do you have any advice or suggestions for upcoming Cosplayers?

Be intimidated. Be scared. Be humbled. After you've felt that, jump right in and start cosplaying! We all start somewhere and I was very overwhelmed when I first start. I almost didn't pursue it but with the help of my friends and the cosplay community I built up the confidence to keep working on it, to keep improving. If this is something you're seriously passionate about it's worth pursuing. Take it slow and do it YOUR way.

What is the most negative experience you've dealt with while cosplaying, and how did you handle it?

The cosplay culture can appear divided at times. There's friction between canon cosplayers (those who work to get every detail of a character correct) and those who exercise creative license (make alterations to the original character design). I've heard harsh criticisms and from people who are grossly against any deviance from canon. I've learned that this appears everywhere and is even present in the SCA. To overcome it, you have to realize that there IS room for all of us. You'll connect with people who share your interests and your joy. There's also the issue of being met with abuse, whether verbally or physically. Know that this is completely unacceptable, no one should ever talk down to you or speak negatively about your passion. Physical abuse is unacceptable and you can call on the authorities for help. The cosplay community is very close and if you are having a problem you can ask for help and it will be met pretty quickly with guidance and support. There will always, unfortunately, be negativity to balance the positive things in life. Don't let it get you down, use it to fuel your energies and make something that would make the most blatant offender stand in awe.