New York Comic Con wrapped up earlier this week and the web has been flooded with photos of celebrity guests, artists, creators, Con exclusives, and awesome cosplayers. This week Scoop spoke with Gemstone Assistant Editor Carrie Wood, a cosplay enthusiast, about her experiences in costume and her advice for cosplayers. As one of the writers of The Overstreet Guide to Cosplay she also spoke about what to expect in the book from the point of view of a cosplayer.

Scoop: Describe your introduction to cosplay.
Carrie Wood (CW): My first convention was Otakon 2002, which is just an enormous convention to start with. Even then it was filling the Baltimore Convention Center. I was 12 years old, really getting into anime for the first time, and my friend and her parents brought me along. And everywhere I looked, there was someone else in cosplay. I still have a couple of photos of me at that convention, standing very awkwardly next to some Trigun cosplayers. But that sudden overexposure to it all at once was what got me interested. Everyone in costume sort of seemed like they were having more fun than everyone not in costume, so I wanted to join in. My friend who brought me along had a costume, but I didn’t, and I really wanted to participate. My aunt is a professional seamstress, so the time the next convention came around, I had my own costume.

Scoop: What is it about cosplay that makes you want to participate in the hobby?
CW: That’s hard to describe, and I think it’s different for everybody. Ultimately, I think I do it because I have a passion for the character or the series, and because I like to have a creative outlet to express that passion. Some people who are really into a show write fan fiction or create gorgeous works of fan art based off of it. I’m not great at either of those things, but I think I’m competent enough with sewing at this point to pay tribute to a series through recreating my favorite character myself!

Scoop: How do you choose which characters to emulate?
CW: Generally, I have to develop some sort of attachment to the character. You’ll never see me cosplaying a character I don’t actually like or that I don’t know anything about. Sometimes I’ll put costumes off in order to do them later as part of a larger group from the same series, which then gives me time to focus on other projects. But usually, the characters I cosplay have a trait that I really admire and want to emulate.

Scoop: Do you make your own costumes? How?
CW: I do, for the most part. Sometimes I enlist help from some friends of mine who are way more talented than I am – I have a close friend who went to college with me, but his major was costume design. He’s been a huge resource for me in the past, and will actually be making a large costume for me for an event early next year. But generally I try to find a pattern to adapt and then wing it the rest of the way. I made my Captain Marvel outfit off of one of those onesie pajama patterns! Almost everything I’ve made on my own has been tweaked from an existing pattern.

Scoop: What do cosplayers add to the convention experience?
CW: I think cosplayers definitely add another layer of fun to the overall convention atmosphere. Would you rather go to a comic convention where everyone’s just walking around in t-shirts and jeans or would you rather go to a convention where you get to see a Wonder Woman cosplayer who looks like she just jumped off the page? Everyone, I think, can appreciate the work that goes into such a hobby.

Scoop: Who is the most impressive cosplayer that you’ve seen?
CW: My friend Jenni – also known as Mostflogged online – fits that bill. The amount of work that she gets done, and the quality of costumes that come out of that work, continue to amaze me. She’s been an absolute inspiration for me over the many years that I’ve known her, and she’s been a great resource for me as well. She actually made my bunny suit for my cosplay of Takano Miyo from Higurashi: When They Cry. I can’t gush over her enough, really. Sometimes when I look at her work I feel on the verge of an “I’m not worthy!” breakdown straight out of Wayne’s World.

Scoop: Have you ever met the creators/artists/writers of the characters you cosplay?
CW: I have! The creator of the Touhou Project series of games, ZUN, was at Anime Weekend Atlanta in 2013. I was dressed as the main playable character from the series, Reimu, and I ran into him and his wife outside of the hotel where the convention was taking place. I was a little nervous to speak to him, since I didn’t want to intrude, but his wife saw me first and pointed me out to ZUN. He came right over, just saying, “Oh!! Reimu! Great Reimu! Wow!” over and over. His wife took a picture of us together. I was beaming the rest of the weekend.

Scoop: Writing from the point of view of a cosplayer what do you want to focus on in The Overstreet Guide to Cosplay?
CW: I want to focus on how it can be done by anyone. A lot of people are apprehensive about getting into cosplay, because of the cost that can be involved, or maybe because they’re a little shy or self-conscious. I don’t think that these are barriers that can’t be knocked down. I was definitely shy when I first started going to conventions, but cosplaying made me more outgoing. And I think while cost is definitely a huge factor, I’ve been able to make costumes without blowing the bank. Cosplaying isn’t some sort of exclusive club!

Scoop: In the recent interviews Scoop has conducted cosplayers have pointed out social issues such as inappropriate comments or touching that have marred the hobby. Will these issues be addressed in the book?
CW: Absolutely. It’s unfortunate that there are people who somehow believe that common courtesy doesn’t apply at conventions. I hope to share my own stories, as well as stories of other cosplayers who have been victims of this sort of gross behavior, in an attempt to address this issue.

Scoop: Will the book include tips for people who would like to become cosplayers?
CW: Sure! Anyone can do it. I hope that the book is able to show that regardless of age, body type, race, gender, or sewing ability, cosplay is something that everyone can do if they try. The first step is as simple as setting a reasonable goal for yourself. Mine tend to be along the lines of “I need to have this costume done by this convention.” Sometimes I blow it. I think every cosplayer blows it at some point, and just doesn’t get the outfit done by the convention. But people who are new to the hobby can’t let themselves get discouraged, because the gratification of wearing something and have people love and appreciate your work is wonderful.

Scoop: How about tips on making costumes on a budget?
CW: There are lots of ways to make a costume without breaking the bank or completely throwing your timetable out the window. I hope to be able to share my own tips on how to do this. Personally, I tend to buy fabric that I know I’ll use when it goes on sale, regardless of when I’ll actually be using it. I have a lot of stock fabric at home!

Scoop: What advice would you personally give to cosplayers?
CW: I’d probably just say: be cool to each other! There have been times where I see people get so wrapped up in the competitive aspect of the hobby, and it causes drama and wrecks friendships. We’re all a bunch of grown nerds playing dress up in public, so why not just take it easy and have a good time?

Previous articles in this series
Inside the Guide: Cosplay Brings Character to Life
J.C. Vaughn Interview

Inside the Guide: Bringing Cosplay to Life
Melissa Bowersox Interview

Our Cosplay Chat series

Ukraine Kraine

Kamikaze Miko