Secret Identities: Bluucircles
Scoop: First off, please introduce yourself!
Bluucircles: My name is Amanda, and I go by Bluucircles. I’ve been cosplaying since 2003. I’m from New York, born and raised my whole life, and currently living in Brooklyn, with a full time job in the city.
Scoop: What was your first introduction to the cosplay hobby? What was it about cosplay that made you want to participate?
Bluucircles: I recall around 2002 was when I started to become more aware of conventions and cosplaying. I started to get a feeling when I saw a character in a show or movie or game that I liked and thought, “wow, I really want to be them!” With cosplaying, I could not only show my love for a character, but explore my creative outlets as well, in addition to befriending others who also had the same interests.
Scoop: What is your personal approach to your costumes? How do you choose what character to emulate? Do you tend to make your own outfits, or do you receive help?
Bluucircles: I find I am usually drawn to fun and upbeat characters, with personalities either similar to myself, or traits I wish I could add (usually characters are a bit more bold and daring than I am in real life). Other times, it is a fantastic character design that will make me go “wow, that needs to be on my body immediately.” While I make my costumes entirely myself, I will of course seek advice from friends when faced with a perplexing issue that I think they may have a solution for. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve had my butt saved. Of course, they do the same with me. That’s one of the things I love about cosplaying with friends too, it’s this giant wealth of knowledge that we all share from and draw from.
Scoop: What was one of your best and most memorable experiences in cosplay?
Bluucircles: That’s actually a hard question to answer! I find more and more recently I am having so many great experiences, so many memories, and so much fun with my friends. Though I think it would still have to be New York Anime Fest 2008, which was the first time I entered a skit in the masquerade and the first time I won, too. I was so proud of myself for all my hard work and practice. It was definitely a blast.
Scoop: What was one of your worst?
Bluucircles: There was definitely one year I didn’t get any of my costumes done and had nothing to wear at all. I was pretty disappointed in myself for not meeting deadlines and poorly managing my time. However, I wasn’t going to let that ruin my weekend. I still made sure I saw friends, explored the con, made dinner plans, and enjoyed watching the general goings-on at the con regardless. It also taught me to manage my time better, and to not let a change in plans ruin my fun.
Scoop: What challenges or issues do you think cosplayers face most?
Bluucircles: I think a lot of the time we are seen as not being “normal.” I recall one time on the news, the reporters were outside of the Javits on the Friday of New York Comic Con. The reporters kept saying things like, “don’t you have jobs?” and it really angered me. We are people just like anyone else who has a job and a family and a life. And just like anyone else would, we also can take vacation and do what we would like on our days off. It’s something that really struck a nerve with me and is probably one of my biggest frustrations with society’s view of cosplayers. We do our 9-5 like anyone else, but we also want to express ourselves, indulge in our hobbies, and have a good time when we’re not working as well. If anything, cosplay can sometimes be almost another full time job, given the hours one can put into a costume.
Of course I could go on about the cosplay not being consent issue too, as that is certainly another huge one. But we’d be here forever then.
Scoop: What do you think cosplay adds to the overall convention experience?
Bluucircles: As a cosplayer, it gives me a way to get together with my friends to make memories, to gather together to indulge in something we like, from a series that we like, and to laugh and make a unique experience that can’t be replicated. As a spectator, I think it’s always fascinating to see what people have been working on, what they’ve poured all their time and love in.
Scoop: Do you have any major costume or convention plans lined up in the near future?
Bluucircles: Katsucon has become my staple con each year since I started going back in 2011, so I’m greatly looking forward to that. I’m also excited to check out Magfest as well, I just love the National Harbor a lot. As for costumes there, I have a long flowing list of plans like most of my friends do. Of particular note though would be Ventus, from Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep. I’m greatly looking forward to doing this group with my friend and to reprise a character I love (in a sense, as I used to cosplay Roxas years ago).
Scoop: If there’s anything else you’d like to add about cosplay or your own personal cosplay experiences, please do that here. Also if you have open social media that people can follow you on, a cosplay page, etc, please link that as well.
Bluucircles: Cosplay is an ever-changing and ever-growing thing. I’ve been cosplaying for over 11 years now and I’m always learning something new. It is a hobby that has introduced me to so many friends, new interests, and new places. It is something I’m deeply happy to be part of. You can follow me on Facebook to keep up with my cosplay plans.
Previous articles in this series:
Photo credits:
Top image: SoulFire Photography
Middle image: Felicis Rook
Bottom image: Gryfeathr Photography
Popular Topics
Overstreet Access Quick Links
Secret Identities: Bluucircles
Scoop: First off, please introduce yourself!
Bluucircles: My name is Amanda, and I go by Bluucircles. I’ve been cosplaying since 2003. I’m from New York, born and raised my whole life, and currently living in Brooklyn, with a full time job in the city.
Scoop: What was your first introduction to the cosplay hobby? What was it about cosplay that made you want to participate?
Bluucircles: I recall around 2002 was when I started to become more aware of conventions and cosplaying. I started to get a feeling when I saw a character in a show or movie or game that I liked and thought, “wow, I really want to be them!” With cosplaying, I could not only show my love for a character, but explore my creative outlets as well, in addition to befriending others who also had the same interests.
Scoop: What is your personal approach to your costumes? How do you choose what character to emulate? Do you tend to make your own outfits, or do you receive help?
Bluucircles: I find I am usually drawn to fun and upbeat characters, with personalities either similar to myself, or traits I wish I could add (usually characters are a bit more bold and daring than I am in real life). Other times, it is a fantastic character design that will make me go “wow, that needs to be on my body immediately.” While I make my costumes entirely myself, I will of course seek advice from friends when faced with a perplexing issue that I think they may have a solution for. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve had my butt saved. Of course, they do the same with me. That’s one of the things I love about cosplaying with friends too, it’s this giant wealth of knowledge that we all share from and draw from.
Scoop: What was one of your best and most memorable experiences in cosplay?
Bluucircles: That’s actually a hard question to answer! I find more and more recently I am having so many great experiences, so many memories, and so much fun with my friends. Though I think it would still have to be New York Anime Fest 2008, which was the first time I entered a skit in the masquerade and the first time I won, too. I was so proud of myself for all my hard work and practice. It was definitely a blast.
Scoop: What was one of your worst?
Bluucircles: There was definitely one year I didn’t get any of my costumes done and had nothing to wear at all. I was pretty disappointed in myself for not meeting deadlines and poorly managing my time. However, I wasn’t going to let that ruin my weekend. I still made sure I saw friends, explored the con, made dinner plans, and enjoyed watching the general goings-on at the con regardless. It also taught me to manage my time better, and to not let a change in plans ruin my fun.
Scoop: What challenges or issues do you think cosplayers face most?
Bluucircles: I think a lot of the time we are seen as not being “normal.” I recall one time on the news, the reporters were outside of the Javits on the Friday of New York Comic Con. The reporters kept saying things like, “don’t you have jobs?” and it really angered me. We are people just like anyone else who has a job and a family and a life. And just like anyone else would, we also can take vacation and do what we would like on our days off. It’s something that really struck a nerve with me and is probably one of my biggest frustrations with society’s view of cosplayers. We do our 9-5 like anyone else, but we also want to express ourselves, indulge in our hobbies, and have a good time when we’re not working as well. If anything, cosplay can sometimes be almost another full time job, given the hours one can put into a costume.
Of course I could go on about the cosplay not being consent issue too, as that is certainly another huge one. But we’d be here forever then.
Scoop: What do you think cosplay adds to the overall convention experience?
Bluucircles: As a cosplayer, it gives me a way to get together with my friends to make memories, to gather together to indulge in something we like, from a series that we like, and to laugh and make a unique experience that can’t be replicated. As a spectator, I think it’s always fascinating to see what people have been working on, what they’ve poured all their time and love in.
Scoop: Do you have any major costume or convention plans lined up in the near future?
Bluucircles: Katsucon has become my staple con each year since I started going back in 2011, so I’m greatly looking forward to that. I’m also excited to check out Magfest as well, I just love the National Harbor a lot. As for costumes there, I have a long flowing list of plans like most of my friends do. Of particular note though would be Ventus, from Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep. I’m greatly looking forward to doing this group with my friend and to reprise a character I love (in a sense, as I used to cosplay Roxas years ago).
Scoop: If there’s anything else you’d like to add about cosplay or your own personal cosplay experiences, please do that here. Also if you have open social media that people can follow you on, a cosplay page, etc, please link that as well.
Bluucircles: Cosplay is an ever-changing and ever-growing thing. I’ve been cosplaying for over 11 years now and I’m always learning something new. It is a hobby that has introduced me to so many friends, new interests, and new places. It is something I’m deeply happy to be part of. You can follow me on Facebook to keep up with my cosplay plans.
Previous articles in this series:
Photo credits:
Top image: SoulFire Photography
Middle image: Felicis Rook
Bottom image: Gryfeathr Photography
Popular Topics
Overstreet Access Quick Links
