Tigress

It seems that my reputation is starting to precede me. It feels weird to have a near-stranger come up to me at a con and find that they already know me via a forum, one of my blogs or my web site. But I've always been a social person, so it's all good.

Apparently, I am Tigress, the Bitch-Kitty on Wheels. (In some circles, I'm better known as "Kat", but I answer to either.)

I earned the name in college, via fantasy wrestling. "Tigress" was the name of my character, simply because I had a thing about tigers at the time. She proved very popular in the community and I've gone by that name ever since.

I constantly have cosplay on the brain, only partly because I have a business making them for others. Other things occupying my mind are video games, the book I'm reading, tech gadgets, manga, Magic: the Gathering and martial arts.

What else? I'm a 2nd dan in taekwondo and training to test for my 3rd. I'm hoping to achieve the title of "Master" in a few years. I have a BS in computer science and work in IT for my "real" job. I'm also happily married to a wonderful guy that tolerates my obsessions and am owned by two cats.

I'm easy to spot at cons, since I'm very loud and carry around a tiger backpack named Hobbs. And I love talking to fellow fans, so feel free to chat me up!

What got you into cosplay?
I like dressing up and this gives me an outlet for my creativity and problem-solving skills. I also have absolutely no shame at all, so I'll make a complete ass out of myself if it will get someone to crack a smile.
What was your first costume and why?
When I started cosplaying, I bought an Inu-Yasha costume off of E-Bay. I love the anime and wanted my first cosplay to be relatively easy to work with. Since then, I've switched to making my own stuff, both for bragging rights and to get more "display" items under my belt.
What is your favorite costume and why?
Two of my costumes are "trademark" cosplays for me: Integra Hellsing and Tsunade. Apparently, my demeanor is perfect for "leader"-type characters. One or both are usually requested at conventions I'm attending. My current favorite is my "Dark Knight" Harley Quinn, which gives me an excuse to be a total spazz-mo-tron.
Do you have a dream costume you'd like to make?
Now that I've learned that my husband has a secret alter-ego, I want to dress him up as Jin from Samurai Champloo. My ultimate dream: To make Sarah's ballroom gown from Labyrinth and dress my husband (or a willing friend) up as Jareth. >^_^<
What has been your most memorable cosplay experience?
At Animazement '08, I went to the autograph session for Jouji Nakata, who voices Alucard in Hellsing. I was dressed as Integra Hellsing and got lots of compliments and picture requests while standing in line. When I got to Nakata-san, he stood up and called me "Miss Hellsing". After some back-and-forth in-character roleplaying, he signed my DVD and I asked if I could have a picture with him. He responded by kneeling in front of me for the picture!
Do you participate in masquerades?
I do participate at the smaller conventions.
What was your best masquerade experience?
Most of my masquerade experiences have been pretty forgettable. But my best hall experience was at Animazement '09, where the judges completely fangirled over my Rainbow Brite costume and couldn't get up to hug their "doll" fast enough. I had decided to enter on a whim because of the positive response it had gotten. While I didn't place (my competition was pretty stiff), I got Judges' Choice!
Have you won any awards for your costumes?
2nd place - Zombie-Con 2 - LoliGothVampire; Best Group - NashiCon '09 - Tsunade (along with BloodofGavroche as Orochimaru, Shanks as Jaraiya and Charley as Asuma); Judges' Choice - Craftmanship - Animazement '09 - Rainbow Brite; 3rd Place - Amateur - ConCarolinas '09 - Rainbow Brite
Tell us a little about yourself
I graduated magna cum laude from NCCU with a BS in computer science in 2001. I split my time between a part-time computer operator gig and my own costuming business, called Kat's Play. Got married August 1, 2004 and have two cats, Q'i (aka Moose/Haunt) and Alice (aka Weasel/Bitchy). I enjoy anime (of course), martial arts, pro wrestling, most sports, reading, writing, video games and art. I've been taking tae kwon do since I was 14 and hold a second degree black belt.
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
I'm older than I look. A *lot* older.
My favorite anime
FLCL, Hellsing and Ergo Proxy are some of my favorites, but there's very few anime that I can remember actively disliking. I'll give anything a watch at least once.
My favorite game(s)
Generally, if I'm playing it, that means it's my current favorite. I try to play DDR for cardio on days I'm not at tae kwon do. I'm a rabid rhythm and RPG fanatic. Also, Beyond Good and Evil will always have a special place in my heart.
My favorite book(s)
It's easier to list the books I don't like, but I've read Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl, Dracula and The Phantom of the Opera more than once. So I guess they count as my favorites. But I'm always reading something and try to reserve an hour or so out of my day for that purpose. I'm also rapidly running out of space in my bookcase.
My favorite character(s)
Integra Hellsing, Tsunade, Jade/Shauni, Re-l Mayer, Haruko Haruhara are among my favorites. Generally, I gravitate toward the strong female roles or the spastic ones. I also have a strong attraction to Alucard, Orochimaru, and Lotor. For the male characters, I tend to go for the dark, villianous assholes. I don't know what attracts me to them, but I find them dead sexy.
My favorite movies(s)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is my ultimate favorite. I walked down the wedding aisle to CoCo Lee's "Love Before Time". Other favorites include Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, My First Mister, Quills and just about anything by Hayao Mayazaki and Tim Burton. Basically, I enjoy anything that's quirky and/or has a lot of action. I'm also a huge hop n' chop junkie.
My favorite actors/actresses
Christina Ricci and Leelee Sobieski star in some of my favorite "obscure" titles, like My First Mister. Morgan Freeman, Christopher Lee, Johnny Depp, and Geoffrey Rush are probably my favorite actors. Quite a few of my favorite movies have one or the other in some kind of role. Especially Depp, who has starred in my favorite Tim Burton movies. And you have to love Geoffrey Rush, who does something awesome like the Marquis de Sade in Quills, but still isn't too good for something as silly as Casanova Frankenstein in Mystery Men.