The Vault Magazine- Exhibition Edition

T H E JUNE 2016

VAULT EXHIBITION EDITION

South West Cosplay Champion

DEAD’S CREATIONS

TOP 10 ComicCon Essentials

Behind the lens with LAUGHING ORC PHOTOGRAPHY

Cat Cosplay with FREYU INTERVIEW WITH

Hayley Smith Cosplay

THE BEST IN COSPLAY TODAY 1

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TT H H EE

V A U L TT

Editor: Madeleine Gleed madeleinegleed@thevaultmagazine.co.uk Contents Š 2016 The Vault Magazine All rights reserved. No part of this magazine to be reproduced without permission from the publishers.

All photographers hold the copyright to their images.

Contributors: Big Guy Slim Carlos Adama Photography Demorafairy Photography Ian B Photography James Bissett Photography Jon Fisher Photographer Kayleigh Clancy Photography Kyle McVean Photography

Laughing Orc Photography Madeleine Alice Photography Robert Johannesson Photography Robert John Parker RS Photography Sonesh Joshi Photography Tascha Dearing Art

Images: Main Cover: Madeleine Alice Photography, Model: Dead’s Creations This Page: Madeleine Alice Photography, Model: Becca Bee

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THE VAULT CONTENtS

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Interviews

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Catlin Cosplay

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South West Cosplay Champion, Deads Creations

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Cardiology Cosplay

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Envyious Cosplay

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Behind The Lens: Carlos Adama Photography

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Hayley Smith Cosplay

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Behind the Lens: Laughing Orc Photography

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Behind the Lens: Kyle McVean Photography

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Cat Cosplay

Features

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Top 10 Comic Con Essentials

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Nuke Props

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8-Bit Gaming Bar

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Image: Laughing Orc Photography

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Catlin Cosplay Interview

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Interview by Madeleine Gleed Answers by Catlin Cosplay

’m a museum educator based in London, I work in museums on various programmes and I love my job a lot! Outside of cosplaying I enjoy gaming and I also spend some time with my family horses.

Who/what inspired you to start cosplaying?

I went to a convention and saw people in costumes and thought “I need to do that” and so, a monster was born.

I studied textiles in school and could sew reasonably well, I enjoyed making and just wanted to try it out!

Who is your current biggest cosplay inspiration?

I would say Aigue-Marine cosplay, she’s

stunning, she works incredibly hard in her job and is very talented. Enja cosplay also inspires me to strive for perfection in all my costumes as his are always high quality and incredibly screen accurate. But overall my cosplay friends really encourage me and inspire me to carry on, even when things aren’t going right!

What is your favourite cosplay so far and why?

Bombshell Ivy because we were in an amazing group and I put so much work into that costume, 4 hours of hair and makeup (body paint) and I hand stitched most of that costume! I also love being an elf, because elves are awesome.

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How do you decide who to cosplay?

I see things, and I’m like “MUST DO THE THINGS” and yeah, then it happens. Some costumes I make for specific reasons, like Kim possible and Hipster Ariel were simple, comfy costumes worn so that I could staff the cosplay zone at LSCC. What is the most challenging cosplay build you have done so far?

Bombshell Ivy. I loved making that costume, but I did hand sew the bra, and paint on the details, and then hand sewed the shorts while they were on me (because I bought stretch shorts and didn’t buy stretch fabric to put over the top, whoops). It was also challenging to wear, it was freezing, I was up early to get into makeup and as it was so popular I did photoshoots, videos and interviews for 4 hours without sitting down. It was madness, but also amazing.

Images Left: Kyle McVean Below: Big Guy Slim

What are the best and worst materials to work with while creating costumes?

This really depends on the costume, it really does. Fabric wise, I avoid stretch fabric because it scares me. The more expensive fabrics generally can be nicer to work with because the material is higher quality, but it really depends on what material you’re working with and

what other equipment you’re using. If you’re using a basic sewing machine it’ll struggle with some fabrics, whereas an industrial sewing machine will manage nearly all fabrics.

How long on average do your costumes take to create?

Months, because I have a full time job and like to maintain a social life which will often push costume making back. However, I have made costumes in weeks before. If a costume can be pulled together by buying items and using wardrobe items, a couple of days. I pulled my black canary costume together in an hour with items in my wardrobe!

Have you created tutorials?

I wrote a “guide” for when I made Rey, because star wars was popular and lots of people wanted to know how I made it. It was a great chance to reflect but I could never do it for all my costumes, I don’t have the time. I’d like to vlog and talk through some costumes but otherwise I normally advise people to drop me a message and ask me individually!

If money and time were no constraint whom would you most love to cosplay?

Okay so Eowyn from Lord of the

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Rings, in her full armour or Alice in her Jabberwocky slaying armour. Yeah, I like women in armour. I’d love to commission one of Padme’s crazy dresses and have the new Cinderella dress in my wardrobe. I wouldn’t mind a spidey/spider gwen suit either!

What would you consider to be the most challenging part of cosplaying?

Not comparing myself to others.

It’s really hard to see other people cosplaying the same character as you and to not compare yourself to them!

What has cosplaying done for you?

I’ve grown in confidence a lot, learnt new skills and made a lot of new friends.

It’s a wonderful world that has opened up many fun opportunities for me.

If you were to go back to when you first started and give

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yourself any cosplay advice what would it be?

Don’t compare yourself to others! Everyone has a different level of knowledge and skill and different strengths and weaknesses, so never compare yourself to someone as you can always learn and grow.

Have you ever experience any negativity within or around the cosplay community?

I have,its not perfect,like anything.

I’ve had a few unprofessional togs at conventions who have said inappropriate things, but this is rare and doesn’t happen often.

When it does the cos community fights back and doesn’t stand for it at all.

Do you have any favourite cosplay experiences?

Spending time with friends.

That’s always my favourite memories, my friends are ace.

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“It’s a wonderful world that has opened up many fun opportunities for me.”

Images Left page Top: Jon Fisher Photography Bottom: Carlos Adama Photography Right page Top: Carlos Adama Photography Bottom: Kayleigh Clancy Photography

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Winner of the South West Cosplay

Championships

Dead’s Creations Interview and photography by Madeleine Gleed Answers by Dead’s Creations

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ell us a little bit about yourself and your interests outside of cosplaying I moved to Devon over ten years ago from Essex and love it here.

I’ve just moved out and live with my boyfriend and our dog Zelda, she is my world I love her so much. When I’m not making cosplay I help my dad and step mum breed dogs. I also love to cook and read and learning new craft, over a year ago I picked up origami and love that How long have you been cosplaying for?

Not very long I wanted to do it a while.

My 1st time was 2014 at mcm cosplaying Shiro Can you explain the process you went through for the South West Cosplay Championships?

Once Devcons dates were announced there was post saying about SWCC and I was looking at it like shall I try this?

So I sent off my details with the cosplay i would enter in. on the day there were so many people and I felt so sick. I was pretty much last as my details had got lost. When my name got called out for Honourable, I was in shock it was such an awesome feeling. So then the finales came along after two solid months of working on my cosplay after Devcon got brought forward, some how got her ready for the day. We were also allowed to have music so had to get that sorted too (but I do think it helps sell the cosplay) What made you choose Beatrice for you final stage cosplay?

Well I love the game Dantes Inferno, and I just thought she looked awesome as soon as I saw her I just started thinking of all the ways I could make it. I love textiles so it was perfect really.

Also being as she is covered in flames and smoke there are so many ways you can interpret that so you get some wiggle room Can you give me a description of your process while designing making and making your Beatrice costume?

There was only one picture to really work from and no back view so it was open to me tweaking it a bit. There were many different techniques that went in to making it. The headdress is a wire frame and papier-mâché. The Exhibition Edition | THE VAULT |

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corset is made with stripes of fabric and copydex then painted and loads of voile fabric pieces cut out and stuck on one by one. The skirt was pretty straightforward really and was probably the easiest part to make.

How long did your Beatrice costume take to create?

I was really bad at keeping track but when I went back and added it up it took roughly under 300 hours in a space of two months to make How did it feel to win the South West Cosplay Championships?

I can’t even explain. Its like all that hard work was validated even though I went there with the attitude that I was already really proud of myself for what I had achieved that yeah not winning would suck but it wasn’t the end of the world. And seeing how amazing the others were I was even more in the mind set that I wasn’t going to win. But again when I heard my name it actually took a lot not to just cry really. I was so happy it was amazing!

What has cosplaying done for you?

Its opened up a whole new world of who I truly am and want to be, I’ve met the most amazing people. And I’ve always been creative and it’s just an awesome outlet for that with combining it with the stuff I like If money and time were no constraint whom would you most love to cosplay?

God I’ve been asked this before and I still don’t know. I haven’t come a crossed someone yet that I’m like ahhhhh.

I’m to poor for cosplay already and still find a way. But I have a cosplay lined up that will need time and money and she’s from the new final fantasy game, so I will take my time to make sure I do it right!

If you could go back to when you first started cosplaying and give yourself any advice what would it be?

Well I’ve been making stuff for years so I’m confident in what i make but not in myself and i still get so nervous, so I would just say just enjoy it and chill out Is cosplay something you can see yourself doing in the next 10 years?

Yeah I don’t see myself stopping ever. It’s to much fun and it’s for everyone. I would love to do it as a family.

Do you have anything else to say?

Thank you! And just to everyone ever, if you want to cosplay and you have any worries, just do it, you will be happy that you did and you won’t want to stop. Whether you make or buy it’s all about having a good time.

Progress Images: Dead’s Creations

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“Its opened up a whole new world of who I truly am and want to be”

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Cardiology

Cosplay Interview

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e are Veera and Elle. We’re two university students studying Biomedical Science and English Lit & Drama and are mainly based in London. Outside of cosplay, we like the usual geeky things: comics, anime, movies and videos!

How did the two of you meet?

We actually attended the same secondary school and sixth form together. We were friends before we started cosplaying but the hobby brought us closer together!

How did you come up with your cosplay name?

Our name is pretty silly. We always struggle to come up with usernames and the page name was no different. Veera was the one to come up with the name – it was related to what she’d been studying and we both thought it was okay. People always ask if we’re medicine students when they hear our page name, which is funny.

How many cosplays have you done since you started and what are they?

We both aim to make around 5 cosplays a year. We tend to focus on video game and anime characters but will also do comic book characters, especially if we’re attending a comic book focused con.

What is your favourite cosplay so far and why?

Sonya from Heroes of the Storm is Veera’s favourite cosplay. It was the first time making a full EVA foam armour cosplay and the end product was something we both thought was really cool.

Elle’s favourite cosplay is her Joker from Kuroshitsuji.

Whilst we both like armour cosplays, Elle has an interest in sewing and she was really proud of her finished Joker cosplay.

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How do you decide who to cosplay?

Design is always most important to us along with how accurately we think we can portray the characters.

We rarely cosplay our favourite characters because a lot of them have uninteresting designs or would not suit us very well. For us, the fun in cosplay comes hugely from the creating aspect and we always like to pick characters with designs that are interesting and often give us a challenge.

Interview by Madeleine Gleed Answers by Cardiology Cosplay Photography by RS Photography

We’ll also do pair cosplays quite frequently.

Sometimes this involves one of us cosplaying something we’re not really into but it’s always fun to cosplay together!

Can you give me a brief description of your process while designing and making a costume?

Research. Research. Research! We’ll spend hours looking up character references and searching for suitable materials or techniques. We also look to see if anyone else has made the cosplay. The community shares a lot of information and you can often message other cosplayers and ask for advice with a costume.

After that we usually start crafting the most cumbersome part of the costume. Parts that need priming and painting are made first so that they can dry whilst other parts are made.

What is the most challenging cosplay build you have done so far?

Elle’s Hilde cosplay was the first time either of us had worked with worbla so that was a new experience.

Worbla is thermoplastic that can be heated and shaped. Elle used it to make an entire armour cosplay.

Working with new materials is always hard but fun.

What are the best and worst materials to work with while creating costumes?

EVA foam is our favourite for armour. It can used for so many things and is very affordable! Cardboard is a material most cosplayers will use when they first start making their own costumes and it can be

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used to make some really stunning things! But it’s not very durable unless enforced with something like fibreglass and so can break and tear easily.

How long on average do your costumes take to create?

Like all cosplayers, we’re hilariously lazy. From start to finish a cosplay usually takes about 3 months but in reality we’ll only work on it for 4 weeks of that time.

If money and time were no constraint whom would you most love to cosplay?

Our cosplay goals change all the time so we really don’t know! At the moment we’re really interested in making some Granado Espada

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as the designs are beautiful but we want to increase our crafting skills first.

of the character in real life. The kid was slightly terrified but it was a really cool moment.

What is your favourite contention?

Our favourite UK convention is London Super Comic Con. It’s a super social con and the cosplay standard is always really high due to the popular cosplay competition that takes place there.

Is cosplay something you can see yourself doing in the next 10 years?

We don’t have any plans to stop now so we’ll have to see how it goes. We’d like to see ourselves cosplaying in the future too but realistically that might not be possible.

Do you have any favourite cosplay memories?

Veera was once dressed as Orianna from League of Legends when a man came up to us with his toddler.

He told us that his daughter was named after the character and that he was really happy because he’d never thought he’d see a cosplay

Is there anything else you would like to say about your cosplays, the community or anything in general?

We are constantly improving our cosplays and hope to continue along that path. The community whilst having some negatives is super friendly and welcoming and we’re proud to be a part of it.

“The community whilst having some negatives is super friendly and welcoming and we’re proud to be a part of it.”

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Image: Sonesh Joshi Photography

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EN V y i o u s C o spl a y

I n t e rvi e w Interview by Madeleine Gleed Answers by Envyious ell me a little bit about yourself and your interests outside of cosplaying.

I spend most of my time while I’m not cosplaying playing video games; I’ve played World of Warcraft for 7 years, League of legends for 4 and spend the rest of my time on Hearthstone or single player games. I’ve spent the last 3 weeks going through all of the dragon age games again! I have a keen interest in fitness and love to go the gym and do pole fitness when I can afford the lessons.

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Who or what inspired you to start cosplaying?

My friend Rebecca who is known online as Ms Luna cosplay, She’s an amazing gal that I went to school with.

I saw on Facebook that she was often off dressed up as super hero characters and away at events. Curiosity got me to ask her what she was up to and it all spiraled out of control from there. She suggested I take my self-made Halloween costume to an event and I’ve not looked back.

Who is your current biggest inspiration?

One of my biggest would be Jessica Nigri. She does a lot to fight of hate and has a lot of people to come up against. She is an incredible business woman who has built her own little cosplay empire to rival actual celebrities and I think that is superbly impressive.

Along with her brilliant costume skills and alwayspositive attitude she’s someone I aspire to be like when it comes to cosplay.

I also adore Enayla cosplay, her work is something that is awe inspiring that even some of the greatest seamstresses in the world would be jealous of.

How did you come up with your cosplay name?

My cosplay name was a name I coined up a long time ago. Envyious is a name I have used Online for a long while. I suffer from anxiety and have had serious bouts of depression. I used to get extremely jealous of people just going about their lives making their dreams happen. Envyious is my way of reminding myself how far I have come. I do not have to be envious of other people, their happiness and their accomplishments. I can go out and make my own if I try.

How do you decide who to cosplay?

I change my mind on who I am going to cosplay as often as I change my underwear, if not more often! I try and pick characters that hit a tone or heartstring for me, ones I really fall in love with. I have a thing for cat girls or people with animal ears and features though.

Can you give me a brief description of your process while designing/making a costume?

I’ve recently started trying to do a bit more planning, but before now, my planning process is a bit of a mess!

I spend a while looking at reference images, have a guess at what I’ll be making each bit from, order the bits online then just pile in. There isn’t really much process though when it comes to what I should do first

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and how, I just pick random pieces and go from there. It’s not the best process hence I’m working on it, but it’s done me well so far.

What is the most challenging cosplay build you have done so far?

Probably Ahri. Though under appreciated, the amount of work put into those tails was a nightmare.

The wire and wood work and learning how each material could work together as a nightmare that did physically hurt me on more than a few occasions. People don’t seem to realise how hard some of those simple looking costumes can be to build are!

What are some of the best and worst materials to work with while creating costumes?

My favourite material to work with is leathers and fur, there’s something I love about working with more naturalistic materials, I love tribal more wild style costumes and can’t wait to work with them some more.

I hate working with stretch fabrics with a passion. THEY DONT EVER WANT TO PLAY! How long on average do your costumes take to create?

For my larger builds I’d say 4 months, but this does include the fact I work full time. If I got to sit on

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them consistently they’d take me a few weeks at a time maximum.

If money and time were no constraint whom would you most love to cosplay?

A dragon costume would be my dream. Not a genderbend or humanised, a full dragon (wyvern style) quad suit, realised and scary looking. I’ve had a bit of an obsession with dragons since a very young age, and to recreate one would be so much fun. Kind of like the raptor suits you see people using from Jurassic park!

I’d also love to do some World of Warcraft armour, something like yrel’s exarch armour with the full glow crystals and crystal hammer

“ my I change mind on who I am going to cosplay as often as I change my underwear ”

What would you consider to be the most challenging part of cosplaying?

When things don’t quite go to plan in building. I find it extremely frustrating when the bit of planning I had done doesn’t work, or a method I’ve done 100 times before suddenly isn’t working. It can be quite demoralizing. But seeing it all done is worth it.

What has cosplaying done for you?

It’s given me more problem solving abilities which I do apply at work now too.

It has also helped my self confidence a lot, as I’ve always had a very poor self image. It’s nice to see yourself in a different light once in a while.

Especially with me now doing a little bit of modelling and boudoir work as a side product, which has been great.

If you were to go back to when you first started and give yourself any cosplay advice what would it be?

Budget and plan! Some of my biggest road blocks have come up because I Haven’t planned my finances around projects properly. I’m not on the biggest wage in the world, and life has to come first much to my disappointment some times.

Have you ever experience any negativity within the cosplay community?

I’ve been called too fat a lot more than I’d like, though I don’t let it get to me. I’ve had people spread rumors about me not making my own costumes, occasionally I buy some second hand from friends, but I always credit them, but I consider myself lucky too. You only tend to generate hate or bad press when you’re doing well. So the little bit of bad means just as much to me as the good.

What is your favourite convention/ convention you would most like to attend?

The convention I enjoy the most was Play expo in Manchester last year. I was guesting, got to see a lot of friends and meet a lot of new people. The best thing was being in cosplay at a game orientated event where a lot of people didn’t know what cosplay was! I got to introduce so many people to it and open a lot of eyes, I really enjoyed that.

Images Left: Demorafairy Photography Top: James Bissett Photography Bottom: Demorafairy Photography

Do you have any favourite cosplay memories?

One of my favourite is still meeting one of my closest friends Tabitha at my first convention. We were the only 2 people in league of legends

costumes, and we just gelled from the start. The other would be being invited by riot games to be Kitty Katarina for them at the LCS 2 years back, it was so fun to be the character for them, taking pictures with fans and watching the games really was an experience.

Is cosplay something you can see yourself doing in the next 10 years?

Hopefully! I’d like to continue to grow and take on my complex costumes, and tackle bigger things.

There are so many things I’d like to build and be, so I think I’ll need 10 years to get through it all.

Cosplay really is a labour of love, and I think like many other artistic ventures people under appreciate the sheer volumes or work and money that go into it. We run pages you don’t get to see the hours locked away in rooms, fighting to make things work under time limits you’ve set yourself. It can be really stressful, hard, and expensive but it’s all worth it in the end. Being that character you love is so fun, liberating. To be a character than inspires you and others and have people recognise that work is something that I’ll never quite get used too but it’s something I don’t ever want to stop doing and feeling.

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Behind the lens with

Carlos Adama

Photography Interview by Madeleine Gleed Answers and Photography by Carlos Adama Photography

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’m Carlos, a Spaniard living in London for the past 15 years. My hobbies are basically all things geek and traveling… Standard!

How long have you been doing photography for?

On a more or less serious basis I’d say about 3 years or so How long have you been into cosplay photography and what inspired you to start?

A few years ago I took some pictures for fun while working at a convention, that turned into me becoming the main photographer for the event the year after, which led to realising cosplay photographer could be a fun thing to do and get into.

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What aspect of cosplay photography are you most passionate about?

The ultimate goal that drives me is to bring the characters to life in the most striking way possible What other genres of photography interest you?

I’m dabbling a bit into portrait, fashion-like shoots and headshots. I also love travel and street photography Do you have any image that stand out to you as being your personal favourite if so what is it and why?

I can’t pin point a single one, the images I am more fond of are the ones where I can see a dramatic improvement on my skills and those in which I feel I have really created something that looks as I always envisioned

Who are some cosplayers and/or characters you would most like to shoot?

I have been very lucky with the cosplayers I have worked with so I don’t really like singling out people.

Regarding characters I have a fondness for classic comics costumes of 80s-90s marvel and film characters, like star wars Do you favour shooting on location, in the studio or at conventions and why?

It’s definitely all about location shooting for me.

Finding the right place for the right character and treat it almost like a film set Do you have any advice for people wanting to start cosplay photography?

Have fun with it, do it for the love of the characters and the fun of it. Don’t think about the likes, the reach, ect.

It’s not a popularity contest, do what feels right to you.

3 things you never go on a shoot without?

Extra batteries, reflector, at least one set of flash and umbrella or softbox and stand

Who are your biggest photography influences?

I look mostly at film, I love trying to make my photos like film stills, so that’s on. I also feel very influenced by people like Anton Corbijn What do you do to prepare for a shoot? Will you research he character first?

I tend to shoot mostly characters that I am invested on so part of the research is already done, but I definitely always research and have a “plan” and shots I know I want to get for sure.

Do you have any memorable cosplay photoshoot experiences Too many to count, definitely the shoots I did in Australia while on a work trip where a highlight. Having the chance of shoot using horses a couple of times was pretty amazing too.

Cosplayers Left Page: RossECobb Cosplay, Right Page, Top Left: Lil Prince Costumes Right: Supremeoutcast Cosplay Bottom Left: TigerLily Cosplay

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“Its not a popularity contest,

do what feels right for you”

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How important are locations within your shoots? How do you find them and what things do you need to consider when shooting on location?

Location is prime. I find them mostly by walking around, I often see a place and I make a mental note or take a picture of it with my phone and check later and think what would be good for. Google helps sometimes, but it’s mostly scouting on my own.

Cosplayers Left Page: Lil Prince Costumes Top: Mulder - Weathered King Cosplay, Scully -Hannah Lydia Cosplay and Sheriff - Sonesh Joshi Photography

I also consider things like safety, if there will be bystanders of private security would be an issue. You don’t want to be kicked out or have people interrupting your shoot. If you’re in a public space you have to be flexible and shoot as quick as you can What postproduction do you usually do to your images?

I start in lightroom, color correcting

and finding the overall tone of the picture and then I move to photoshop for cosmetic fixes and enhancements How important is photo manipulation in your images and why?

I am not very proficient regarding editing so for the moment my post processing is mainly focused on color correction and trying to find the ideal look for the picture. Manipulation is the main area of learning I’m focusing on at the moment Any tips and tricks you don’t mind sharing?

Always have a rough idea of what you want from the shoot but be ready to improvise. A lot can come of something unexpected or the location itself. Talk to the cosplayer and remember is a collaborative effort.

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y name is Hayley Smith, I’m from England, I love anything to do with costuming and I’m also a freelance artist in my spare time, my hobbies include piano, singing and occasionally knitting How long have you been cosplaying for?

I’ve been cosplaying for about 4 years now, I couldn’t live without it Who or what inspired you to start cosplaying?

I started cosplaying for two reasons, one I searched through Deviantart and was fascinated by the idea of dressing up, I’ve always been into dressing up anyway so doing it as a hobby was the next step. The other

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reason was a few people told me I looked like Amy Pond from Doctor Who and I though heading to a con as Amy would be a really interesting experience Who is your current biggest inspiration?

I really like Courtoon and Traci Hines as my cosplay inspiration, they are both amazing at what they do. I also get inspired a lot of the time by tv shows, films and theatre How many cosplays have you done since you started and what are they?

If this isn’t including makeup tests as I do those nearly every single day when I get bored, I’ve done roughly over 50 cosplays I guess, to cons I

would say I’ve done less but I’m always making spare costumes too for parties and such What is your favourite cosplay so far and why?

My favourite cosplay I have made is my Cinderella and my Anastasia cosplay, I keep actually adding more bits to my Cinderella costume as the years go to constantly improve it. My favourite character to be however is Anna as I feel I embody her character and personality very well.

How do you decide who to cosplay?

I don’t really decide, I’m normally inspired by complex costumes just because it sets myself a challenge but I also love doing cosplays that

Image: Tascha Dearing Art

Hayley Smith Cosplay

Interview Interview by Madeleine Gleed Answers by Hayley Smith Cosplay

are unusual and not done to death.

Also talking to friends helps me get inspired as they are always giving me suggestions, even messages from people on my Facebook and Instagram account gives me great ideas.

What is your process while designing and making a costume?

I don’t really have much of a process, I draw a quick sketch of the costume I’m working on, work out what sort of shapes will work for the patterns, then I highlight what fabrics or styles will work well, this normally ends with me searching on eBay for the perfect fabrics and then once my fabrics have arrived I just pin and drape them

to my mannequin and cut out the shapes I need, then I sew them all together in sections, bodice first, then the skirt and then finally sleeves and details.

“

What is the most challenging cosplay build you have done so far?

My most challenging cosplay so far would probably be my Sansa Stark cosplay as I had to pattern match my fabrics to make sure all the patterns were in alignment with each other, so that took a while to get right.

What are the best and worst I think it’s materials to work with while creating costumes? a wonderful My favourite fabric to work with is satin, especially for the community and I’m duchess princess gowns, it hangs really and has a lovely sheen to so glad to have found regally it. Worst fabrics to work with are the slippery fabrics like velvet, a hobby that makes silk, organza, chiffon. everyone smile.

”

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How long on average do your costumes take to create?

Depends on the complexity but roughly about one month to two months, depending on how many breaks I have in between. I can however make simple dresses in a day or two though and some bits for certain cosplays I have in the cupboard already.

If money and time were no constraint whom would you most love to cosplay?

So many choices! I would finish Cinderella to the size it’s supposed to be and make her wedding dress, I would make all of Elizabeth Swan’s dresses from Pirates of the Caribbean, All the Disney park versions of their princess gowns, Most of the dresses in Anna Karenina, most of the dresses in Marie Antoinette (the Sofia Coppola version), and I would no doubt make most Tim Burton/Coleen Atwood dresses she has designed for his films.

Photography: Robert Johannesson Photography

What would you consider to be the most challenging part of cosplaying?

The most challenging part is actually wearing the costumes during the day,

they are amazing to wear but after a while the (especially corseted costumes) are quite tiresome, also my time management is terrible so I stress myself out to get things finished a lot before a convention.

What has cosplaying done for you?

Cosplaying has given me confidence to be who I want to be and not feel ashamed about who I am and what I enjoy, it’s shown me that creativity is my favourite part about my mind and it’s helped me accomplish some challenging makes I wouldn’t have even dreamed of a couple of years ago.

If you were to go back to when you first started and give yourself any cosplay advice what would it be?

Don’t take anything to heart and enjoy cosplay for what it is... FUN Have you ever experience any negativity within the cosplay community?

I have never really dealt with much negativity myself, I have seen things said about other cosplayers which aren’t particularly nice, but I think this Exhibition Edition | THE VAULT | 30

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“It’s moments like these that make me proud to be a cosplayer.” community is such an open group that I think we all look out for each other and help one another when bad things are being said.

What is your favourite contention/ convention you would most like to attend?

I would love to one day go to San Diego comic con, D23 and Dragon con, I think experiencing comic conventions in a different country is very interesting and cultural Top 5 things you always take to a convention I love taking props for my cosplays, I always bring my phone, sometimes I bring a camera, chocolate snacks are always a good call and a bottle of water as its so hot in the halls normally.

Photography Left: Robert John Parker Photography Top: Ian B Photography

Do you have any favourite cosplay memories/experiences?

My three wonderful memories that Spring to mind are with three different cosplays. One was when a little girl outside had lost her dad and I was dressed as Coronation Elsa and she was so convinced I was Elsa she was asking for my help, she had an adorable little cockney accent and kept saying my name as “Elsah” and she was so sweet so I

helped her find her dad.

My second one was a young fan of mine who saw I was cosplaying Anastasia and started to cry, as she was so grateful I was cosplaying her favourite movie as a child.

My third was a little girl who was convinced I was Princess Ariel, chatted to me for ages about flounder and dinglehoppers and then when she left she asked me if “I was going back to my castle now?” It’s moments like these that make me proud to be a cosplayer.

Is cosplay something you can see yourself doing in the next 10 years?

I would hope I will always keep a part of cosplaying with me, even when I have children I would love them to enjoy dressing up as much as I did when I was a kid as I think it’s great to let a child’s imagination be free.

Is there anything else you would like to say about your cosplays, the community or anything in general?

I think it’s a wonderful community and I’m so glad to have found a hobby that makes everyone smile.

What more could I want from being a princess?

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Top 10 ComicCon Essentials Words and Photography by Madeleine Gleed

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S

10

2

9

3

8

o you’re going to Comic Con? The likeliness is you are going to have a fantastic time! However there are several things that you can do to prepare yourself for the day ahead that will save you a huge amount of time in the long run and help make everything go as smoothly as possible.

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1.

Notebook or Signature book – If you’re expecting to get signatures from any from any of the guests it can be good to have a place to keep them all together. Secondly not all cosplayers and photographers will carry cards so it can be good to have a place to keep their contact details or websites safe.

2.

Pens - Great item to carry if your looking to get anything signed, it can also be good to mark on the program any panels or events you want to attend over the weekend.

4

5

6

3.

4.

Ticket - Possibly the most important item of all and probably does not require a description!

Camera - You never know who you’ll run into or what awesome cosplay you’ll see next so a camera is a pretty key thing to take to any convention.

5.

Poster Tube – These come in all sizes so choose one that will be best to your needs, if you intend on buying any posters or drawings etc. it is a good idea to invest in one of these. You don’t want to get to the end of a long day at a con to find that your new piece of artwork is all creased or ripped.

6.

Cash - Although you may have a bankcard on you and some of the vendors do accept cards you are still best off taking cash. The queues for the cash machines take forever and will usually charge you to take money out.

7.

Reusable shopping bag – These little fold up shopping bags are so easy to pop into a backpack and can almost double the quantity of space you have to carry all your souvenirs home.

8.

Phone – Aside from the obvious use of being able to contact your friends if you lose them, your phone can also be great for setting alarms so you don’t miss your favourite guest giving a talk

7

9.

Deodorant – You’d be surprised how many people forget or overlook deodorant at conventions. No one wants to be stuck in a crowd next to someone who is all hot and sweaty.

10.

Water – You may also want to bring your own food or snacks to a convention as the lines can be long and the food is often overpriced. At a bare minimum it is worth taking a water bottle, the convention halls can get busy and hot and having water on hand to rehydrate yourself can help improve your overall experience

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Behind the Lens with

Laughing Orc

Photography Interview by Madeleine Gleed Answers and Photography by Laughing Orc Photography

Cosplayers left to right: Teraana, Leanne Scrivens, Mistyy Cosplay and Giulietta Zawadzki

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I

’m James. I’m a photographer / cosplayer / gamer / music aficionado / artist / writer / general creative type person.

Generally a bit of a geek.

How long have you been doing photography for?

Not that long actually- getting on for about 3 years now, so I still have a lot to learn!

How long have you been into cosplay photography and what inspired you to start?

Cosplay photography was actually one of the first things I did, because I’ve always loved all things geeky and cosplay as an extension of that.

For me, I think of my photography as being about creating / capturing images of characters – I got into photography as an extension of my drawing and painting interests, so to me cosplay is just another kind of

fan art! But what really drew me in was some of the incredible location shoots and composites I’d seen, of cosplayers like Tabitha Lyons, Zombie Bit Me and Yaya Han, which really brought some of my favourite characters to life.

What aspect of cosplay photography are you most passionate about?

As you can probably guess, for me it’s the grand composite images with special effects etc. that try to recreate the world the characters live in. When someone can portray a character really well, I love to try and complement their hard work with some hard work of my own!

What other genres of photography interest you?

Any photography that involves people interests me – so I do shoot other things outside of cosplay, but I don’t have much of an eye for

landscapes or objects. It’s always people that inspire.

Do you have any image that stand out to you as being your personal favourite if so what is it and why?

That’s a tricky one! I think possibly “The Warrior” image that I shot with Lily Van De Graaff stands out the most. It was the first real composite image that I worked on properly, planning the lighting and composition before even taking the shot, and I’m so happy with the result. I don’t know if I’d say it was my best picture, but definitely my favourite.

Who are some cosplayers and/or characters you would most like to shoot?

Jessica Nigri is the obvious choice for most photographers I guess, but closer to home there are so many people I want to work with! I’ll reel Exhibition Edition | THE VAULT | 36

off a few…

Kerry Cosplay, Envyious, Nikkie Lamb, Lady Bee, Reilena, Halatirno, Reyamimi, Leanna Vamp, Rage Against the Sewing Machine, Charlotte Something, AllieCat, and Giulietta Zawadzki… I’ve probably missed loads!

As for characters, there are a few on my ‘need-to-shoot’ list – Yoko Littner from Gurren Lagann, Ciri from The Witcher 3, and Motoko Kusanagi from Ghost in the Shell… probably lots more as well!

Do you favour shooting on location, in the studio or at conventions and why?

Honestly – it depends on the circumstances and the character!

When there’s a suitable location I’d always try to shoot there, because nothing is more believable than a physical place. But if that’s not possible, or not appropriate, shooting in a studio environment gives me much more control over the lighting which means I can play around with effects for the finished image and experiment a little.

Shooting at cons is both my favourite and least favourite – it’s amazing to have so many inspiring people all around who are happy to let me get pictures of them in costume, but it can be such a struggle trying to find time and space to shoot with everyone, and the lighting can be horrible!

Do you have any advice for people wanting to start cosplay photography?

Just do it! But do it because you love it. And as is the case with all model photography, the best way to improve and get experience is to work with someone who has a lot of experience of their own. Either shadow another photographer whose work you admire, or work with a cosplayer who has a lot of experience with posing and modelling.

The absolute best way to learn though, if you can, is to book a professional model / cosplayer and shoot with them. You’ll pick up so much from them.

Things you never go on a shoot without?

I find my camera helps. But the main things I always carry with me apart from that are a speedlight, my set of coloured gels, and a reflector.

Never underestimate the value of a good reflector, especially on location shoots!

Who are your biggest photography influences?

That’s a really hard question actually! I’m inspired by a lot of work from many different people, and pick up lots of different things from their work. Andrew Dobell and Clinton Lofthouse do superb compositing work, and I’ve definitely been inspired by their styles of editing.

I also really admire the work of ManCave, Jaded Images, Lee Mayfield, Joe B and Panda Face, to name a few.

What do you do to prepare for a shoot? Will you research the character first?

Almost always – I prefer shooting characters that I’m already familiar with, but if I’m shooting a character I don’t know I’ll read up about them and try and watch some footage of them in action.

Cosplayer: David Roth - Exeter Cosplay

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Any memorable cosplay photoshoot experiences?

I shot a Mad Max inspired set last year with a group of awesome people, and we spent the whole day shooting in this huge abandoned quarry. The shots were awesome, but the day was blisteringly hot and we were out there shooting for about 5 hours. We all near enough collapsed from heat exhaustion by the end of the day, but it was so worth it!

How important are locations within your shoots? How do you find them and what things do you need to consider when shooting on location?

I love shooting on location.

Although I do a lot of composite work, I’d always choose to shoot at a location given the opportunity!

There’s something tactile and physical about being in an actual place with someone, and that sense of place really comes through in the image. Plus, the location has a

character of its own which comes across as well.

I find locations mostly by driving around and spotting interesting places – I’ll then either go and ask whoever owns/runs it for permission or look it up online and see what access is like if its somewhere derelict/abandoned. The most important thing to consider, though – as on any shoot – is the safety of both yourself and your model.

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“I love turning a static image into a dynamic or moody shot.”

What postproduction do you usually do to your images?

I generally do quite a lot of postproduction on an image – composites and special effects are my ‘thing’ I guess, and I love turning a static image into a dynamic or moody shot. At a bare minimum, I’ll adjust lighting, tone, and colour balance to suit the mood, and clean up any skin blemishes or imperfections, but normally do a lot more than that. The one thing I don’t generally do is reshape people – I don’t believe in altering a person’s body shape in post-production.

Any tips and tricks you don’t mind sharing?

When shooting with someone – the connection between the photographer and the model is hugely important and comes across in images. Having a friendly, fun, relaxed shoot gets much better results in my experience.

Do you do before and after shots of your editing?

I do, I find it fascinating on a personal level to see how different images can be, and enjoy seeing before/after shots of other photographer’s work, so I quite enjoy sharing my own.

When working on composites – layering and lighting are your greatest friends and fiercest enemies. Making sure that the character feels part of the image – with background and foreground elements – and matching the lighting of the image with the background are crucial.

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When editing images – don’t get carried away smoothing out details. Skin has texture, don’t make your model look like a doll (unless you’re doing a dollthemed shoot, of course…)

Cosplayers: Left: Kenny Cosplay Stuff Right: Jimcredible

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Nuke Props Interview and photography by Madeleine Gleed Answers by Nuke Props

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M

y name is James and I have been making props for the last 2 years. I originally started airbrushing and painting motorcycle helmets, canvases and body panels.

The business is a spare time thing at the moment as I have a full time job as a trade counter manager for a plumber’s merchant but hope one day I can turn my hobby/business into a full time job.

We make and create custom props, costumes and collectables. We can make just about anything asked and consider even the wildest of items.

How did you get into creating props?

I once got asked to paint a Nerf gun and make it look wastelandish/weathered so I did just that. After painting the first one I had some good comments

and people started asking what other types of toy guns I could paint so the orders started coming in.

What kind of props do you favour making?

I prefer making weapons and helmets along the futuristic type but love to tackle the Dark Age style stuff too.

Can you describe the process you go through from start to finish?

Usually it all starts with a 3d model that I create in a cad software and then make this item printable on my 3d printer. I then spend time fixing the pieces together as most items are bigger than my printers can print in one sitting. They are then carefully put together and sanded to their desired finish before applying primer and then a coat or 2 of paint.

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Some items require a mold to be taken of the item before painting and then the item is made from polyurethane resin so it is wearable i.e. a helmet and also allows me to make copies afterwards.

What is your favourite method for making props?

I would have to say using abs on my 3d printer but also like using eva foam when making armour or body items.

“There are so many incredible costumes and all these inspire me to make something good.”

Is there anything that inspires your work?

There are lots of props makers out there now. Over the last few years cosplay in general has become such a massive thing that there are so many incredible costumes and all these inspire me to make something good. I just like making things so even if it weren’t a business I would still be getting stuck in.

Do you cosplay yourself?

I have only ever cosplayed myself once just over a year ago. As I

became busier I didn’t have chance to make my own costume but loved the attention I got in my Fallout T45d costume. I plan on making a Fallout protection costume for my next cosplay.

What is the most fun build you have done so far?

So far I would have to say the Mass Effect breather armour as its not Nuke Props available to buy at www.nukeprops.co.uk

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a game I’ve played myself so loved making something that differed from my everyday builds.

If time and money were no constraint what would you most like to build?

I would love to make a big daddy costume from Bioshock and have a working spinning drill. This is something I could make but the sheer size and cost is something above my current reach.

It will happen in the future!

How do you see the future of Nuke Props?

I hope that it becomes a full time job and that I can get a larger unit with more space to make amazing things.

Anything else you would like to add?

Just the fact that I love making these things for people as I know how it makes them feel to be part of such a great cosplay community.

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Behind The Lens

Kyle Mcvean photograhy Interview by Madeleine Gleed Answers and Photography by Kyle McVean Photography

I

m Kyle, a professional freelance photographer and i take photos of cosplayers as a hobby! I am a big lover of Film, it was what I originally studied at university, always enjoy going to the local cinema and immersing myself in what ever world the films have created for me. I’m a big fan of comic books, video games and generally just being lazy when I have some free time.

How long have you been doing photography for?

Professionally for nearly 2 years, but in total about 10 years.

How long have you been into cosplay photography and what inspired you to start?

I started doing cosplay photography in 2012, mainly just walking around the con and taking the odd random candid snap here or there.

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What aspect of cosplay photography are you most passionate about?

The editing, it’s where each photographer can really define their style and distinguish themselves apart from everyone else.

Do you favour shooting on location, in the studio or at conventions and why?

Location shoots will always trump conventions; Studio photography I feel is more to showcase the cosplayer’s work.

Location is a nice harmony for both the photographer and cosplayer.

Do you have any advice for people wanting to start cosplay photography?

In the words of Shia Lebeouf - ‘JUST DO IT’ What do you do to prepare for a shoot?

Will you research he character first?

A well pinned Pinterest board is the true saviour of any photoshoot.

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Do you have any memorable cosplay photoshoot experiences?

Just a few silly moments here or there, nearly killing Tigerlily and Hollita in the Peak Districts by climbing mountains (it was cold!) and me falling over at other shoots, far too many times to count!

How important are locations within your shoots? How do you find them and what things do you need to consider when shooting on location?

I love location shoots, so yeah, very important! It’s really just a matter of Google, or word of mouth.

How important is photo manipulation in your images and why?

Depends on what type, if its remove a skin blemish like a spot then no problem, dodge and burn to contour the make up no problem. Changing the shape of a cosplayer? That’s a big no no for me.

Cosplayers Above: Fandomily Cosplay Opposite page Top left: XxNinjahKittyxX Top Right: Hollita Bottom: Helen Alice Cosplay

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Cat

Cosplay

By Freyu

Interview by Madeleine Gleed Answers and photographs by Freyu

O

ur Calico is named Nak, she is 12, our Tuxedo is Fawkes and he is 5. Nak has always had a very chill loving personality; Fawkes is a little high strung. If he knows you he is a very loving cat but he is always jumpy regarding loud noises or new experiences.

What inspired you to start creating costumes for your cats?

2 things, we had been performing with Nak at Renaissance Faires for 5 years in costume, cosplaying characters has become an extension of that. Also I wanted to learn how to craft with new cosplay materials and making miniature costumes is a cheap way to learn.

How do they react to being dressed up?

It’s pretty normal for them now. They know to stick their head forward and lift one leg for most shirts and the sign to move backwards when taking them off.

Can you tell me a little about the design process?

This is actually the hardest step, as you have to adjust costumes to a different form. Cats have longer necks and don’t have shoulders as well as having a wider back so all of the patterns change a human costume drastically. Patterning out the costumes so that they will fit the cats comfortably as well as selling the character can take a while and a few tries.

What are key things that you need to consider when creating costume for your cats?

The biggest thing for cats or dogs is to make sure that you give them plenty of room for shoulder movement around their joints. The other thing to be very aware of is the whisker at the front of the face and at the top of the head as well as the ears need to be given plenty of room otherwise you can cause discomfort. If you look closely at my wigs I always give around half a centimetre to a centimetre worth of space near the ears, although sometimes you don’t see the ears due to the amount of hair up there.

But the biggest thing to consider is whether or not your pet is amenable to it. Start small capes cloaks things that are light and that the animal can move freely in.

Along with treats play time and a lot of love to make it a positive experience. Don’t go throwing your animal into a very complex outfit right away, its taken years of working with our cats to get here.

What was the most challenging costume to create?

Either our Ganondorf or our Captain Phasma, both because of the amount of learning materials that I had to do during those builds.

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How long on average do they take to make?

Between 3 hours and 40 plus.

Do the cats every dislike wearing any of the costumes?

None of the ones that have been published, during the design process when we do test fittings the cats will let me know if something doesn’t feel right or if they don’t approve of a piece and I will have to go back to the

drawing board and redesign the item.

Communicating with them during the design process is a very important step.

How do you come up with the ideas for the sets you create?

Usually it’s just stuff that I have laying around that I think would help set the mood for a character or Easter eggs in the background that fans of other series might pick up on. Very

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rarely unless requested will I go out of the way to create a specific set it’s just not monetarily feasible for me at this moment.

What do you think is important when trying to create an accurate representation of a character but for a cat?

You have to break down what part of the costume sells the character, For Tracer it’s the goggles and the chess piece, for Jareth it’s the hair and the necklace, 4 attack on Titan it’s the shirt and the 3D gear. Other elements of your costume can be lacking as long as you have a solid piece that is part of what sells the character to the audience. Identifying what sells the character, as the character is a big part of the design process.

Do you ever receive negative comments about your creations and if so how do you deal with these?

It’s the Internet I’ve received tons, if the person seems reasonable I will attempt to explain our process.

Otherwise it’s best to just not feed the trolls.

Any advice for people who see your creations and want to make costumes for their animals?

The big thing is work on communication with your animal and start small don’t expect to be doing what we are doing with your pet right off the bat a perfect beginners costume is White Mage from Final Fantasy.

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8-Bit Gaming Bar Words and Photography by Madeleine Gleed

8

-Bit is a dedicated gaming bar and is the place to be if you fancy trying out your skills on Street Fighter or Super Smash Bros at one of the weekly tournaments, or relaxing with a cocktail while exploring the wasteland in Fallout.

If videogames aren’t your thing then the bar is also host to a collection of card games, board games and

table top roll playing games. Generally gamers will not be charged to enter and consoles will be free to play so long as your buying at the bar.

Serving primarily as a bar with a selection of local beers to cider choose from, they even have their own ale specially brewed by a local brewery named The

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Rebel Brewing Co. One of 8-Bits biggest selling points, aside from the games of course, is there fantastic selection of over 20 gaming themed cocktails. For the non-drinkers and younger audience the bar also serves an array of nonalcoholic cocktails, teas, coffees and soft drinks.

Although the bar does not serve food, except for some killer brownies, they do allow food to be brought in from other local takeaways. Habaneros burrito bar across the street is a great place to grab a bite to eat without straying too far afield.

This is a great Social space for gamers to get together and have a few drinks, and of course play some games. There are regular gaming tournaments, quiz nights and one-off events and parties such as geek themed feasts. So be it Halo or Bloodborne, Fifa or Mario 8-Bit has it all and is a true gamers paradise.

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8-Bit Gaming Themed Cocktails Featuring

S o nic the B oo zeh o g

Get your head into a spin with the blue blur himself as he smashes through the taste barrier.

Blending Russian Standard Vodka, blue Curacao and lemonade with a genuine gold ring*. *actually lemon.

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TT H H EE

V A U L TT

www.thevaultmagazine.co.uk

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