What got you into cosplay?
Tokyo Kitty and I went to high school together and were bando buddies; she had started the anime club there and I was already interested in anime then and got easily sucked into attending. It wasn't long before I found myself swept up into the world of cosplay and conventions soon after. It's progressed so much more since then, so not a phase like my Mom thought it would be XD Really glad that I've finally learned to sew after all these years! It's made cosplaying so much more enjoyable and personal to me.
What was your first costume and why?
Merle, from Escalfowne. Esca is one of my fav animes, and Merle is such an enjoyable character. Her outfit was loads of fun too, and her hyper attitude fit mine quite well. It was a relatively easy costume to do, and I loved wearing it.
What is your favorite costume and why?
Duo Maxwell and Batgirl... Duo Maxwell. I always wanted to be Pilot 02 way back in high school, and I had wanted it to be my first cosplay ever but things didn't work out that way. I resolved to finally make the costume this past year for AX2005. I was really happy with how it turned out and just very pleased to have finally made the costume and parade around as the hyper braided pilot. It's my first costume I've sewn myself and it's very special to me because of it. Batgirl. It's my essence of everything. I'm such a huge Batman fan, and I've always been referred to as Barb or Oracle by my friends. This is all I ever wanted to be, and I never thought I'd actually achieve it someday. It's so fun to be a vigilante! Next up: Oracle!
Do you have a dream costume you'd like to make?
My Duo Maxwell costume which I debuted at AX2005 was my first dream costume. Gundam Wing was my favorite anime as a kid, still is a big fav for me, and Duo Maxwell was probably one of the first anime characters I gushed over. Then it was my Iruka-Sensei costume because I'd been wanting to get it done for months - I was totally obsessed over Iruka. The vest stole my soul but it was totally worth it. The most recent dream costume was Puck from Disney's Gargoyles. Again not terribly difficult but something I've wanted to do for a long time. Finally made it, Greg Weisman, creator of Gargoyles, saw it...and I got Best Canon Character at the 2006 Gathering of the Gargoyles for it! Dream costumes for me aren't necessarily "difficult" ones, more ones that I've always wanted to cosplay but never gotten around to, even though the characters are ones that are really special to me. Right now the dream costume I'd like to do is rather difficult - I want to be a Mandalorian.
What has been your most memorable cosplay experience?
First: My debut at San Diego Comic Con (2003) as Batgirl. We cut it close to the wire, and only managed to have me in costume on Sunday. But boy do we impress! I got so many compliments and pictures, it was such a joy. It was made all the more wonderful when I first stepped into the exhibit hall, everyone was gawking at me and a little girl came and latched onto my leg and smiled. It was such an amazing moment. Second: Marching in the 2007 Rose Parade as Princess Leia.
Do you participate in masquerades?
Not often, but when I do, I LOVE them.
What was your best masquerade experience?
2006 Gathering of the Gargoyles. It's a very small con, only 15 people in the Masquerade and everyone did a walk-on. But everyone freaked out when I walked into the room as Puck and I won Best Canon Character, which is exactly what I wanted so much!
Have you won any awards for your costumes?
Best Canon Character for Puck at 2006 Gathering of the Gargoyles Most Beautiful Craftsmanship and Best Characterization at Anime LA 2007 for my Syaoran, along with my friends Sana-Chan and Richii in their Sakura and Fai costumes!
Tell us a little about yourself
I'm getting too close to 30...can I just skip the middle years and go straight to being old so I can cosplay older characters?
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
I love Nightwing...I've always got to say that somewhere at least once!
My favorite anime
Rurouni Kenshin, Gundam Wing, Vision of Escaflowne, Naruto, Bleach
My favorite game(s)
Don't play games. Like them, but never have the time. ...does Wii Tennis count?
My favorite book(s)
Pride and Prejudice (I'm an English grad student remember?!), Lord of the Rings, No Man's Land, anything Shakespeare, anything Star Wars
My favorite character(s)
Captain Jack Sparrow, Nightwing, Oracle, Aragorn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Han Solo, Jaina Solo, Urahara Kisuke, Umino Iruka, Duo Maxwell
My favorite movies(s)
Star Wars, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Pirates of the Caribbean, Lord of the Rings, You've Got Mail
My favorite actors/actresses
Johnny Depp, Kenneth Brannagh, Sean Connery, Sandra Bullock, Julia Roberts, Mel Gibson, Hugh Jackman, Julie Andrews