COSPLAY First up how did you get into cosplay? I’m from Canada, where Halloween is a bigger deal than it is down here, and I got into costumes in a big way through Halloween. I always looked forward to dressing up and running around with my friends – I guess the only difference between trick or treating and conventions is the free candy! I worked in a costume shop in Vancouver for many years and I have a background in theatre and pop music, but it wasn’t until I moved to Adelaide and attended my first comic convention that I found cosplay and fell in love with it. What’s been your favourite cosplay so far? That’s like choosing a favourite child! I think comic Black Widow is my favourite, though I love my Lara Croft for comfort and Steampunk Zatanna for glamour. Oh and favourite “con”? I think Oz Comic-Con is my favourite because I really like their vibe and I think the extras they organise, like the guest dinners and absentee packs, are a fun idea. Plus, with all the extra effort they’re putting in with regards to cosplay, they’re trying to tap into another part of fan community in what I feel is a genuine way. Do you make your own costumes and what’s been most challenging? I do make my own costumes, though I’m not opposed to buying or commissioning pieces. After a major sewing fail I ended up buying my catsuit and I’ve just commissioned a piece for a future costume. I really enjoy making my own costumes – I love the feeling of pride I get when
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I put something on and know that I made that. I also like the process of sketching and creating that goes into every costume and I learn so much with each one. The most challenging thing for me is armour, hands down. I’m just not very good at it and I think I need to stop for my future mental state. Bring on the fabric costumes! With E3 just last month - what game or games are you looking forward to? I’ll admit, I’m not a gamer – cosplay takes up a lot of my spare time, as does my family life, and I have trouble committing enough time to a game to complete it. I’m also terrible at jumping, which makes a lot of games very, very difficult. I’m really interested in having a look at Rise of the Tomb Raider because it looks incredible, otherwise I’ll just be waiting for the next Lego game.
Tell us about photo shoots - what do you expect from the photographer and what do you think they expect? At the most basic, I expect to get some quality photos from a photo shoot that I can put up all over social media and to show off my costumes.. What I hope for, and have been lucky enough to get with just about everyone I’ve worked with, is a collaboration between me and the photographer to bring a character to life. What I love about cosplay is inhabiting the character and my goal is always to portray the best version of the character that I can. I think the photographers expect me to be professional and prepared for the shoot. I try to have poses and ideas ready so that we don’t waste time trying to come up with shots. I think there’s an expectation to promote each other as well and to credit the other when posting and sharing the photos.