A Day at Secret Con

I attended my first Secret Con this month, and I’m giving you the low down on what the event is like, what to expect and how to prepare if you attend!

Now, the first thing you might be asking is “What is Secret Con?”. Secret Con isn’t strictly a convention in the way you may be familiar with. There are no stalls, no guests – it’s really a shoot day for cosplayers and photographers to spend the day taking pictures in a cool location. This event was held in the abandoned Gloucester prison, an AMAZING location for so many cosplays to get awesome pictures!

Due to the nature of the event, if you wish to attend you must apply to be able to get a ticket. Tickets are not on sale to the general public – this is because it isn’t an actual convention, it’s purely cosplayers and photographers shooting all day. Someone who doesn’t cosplay would find themselves very disappointed if they bought a ticket and found they had nothing to do there and no entertainment. Both cosplayers and photographers must apply to be able to get a ticket and provide their social media information to prove that they are a genuine cosplayer or photographer. It’s an easy process, and don’t panic – they’re not looking at follower numbers or using them to decide who gets to go. It’s purely to ensure the only attendees are real cosplayers and photographers planning on shooting. Once approved, you will be sent a link to purchase your ticket! The ticket was £19.99, which I felt was a great price to spend a day shooting in a location you wouldn’t normally get to. You would spend far more hiring a studio for the day!

The location itself was fantastic! It’s a very old building, with a mix of Victorian architecture and modern architecture as the prison expanded. It was closed in 2013 due to over-crowding, its old design and expensive upkeep. We had full access to cell blocks, exercise yards featuring a broken/disused helicopter, the chapel, kitchen, padded cell, and a creepy hospital room with dentist chair. Dark corridors, barbed wire and fencing, everything dishevelled; it’s such a perfect location for so many cosplays. How often to you get to shoot in a creepy abandoned prison! The prison was quite big and if you’re directionally challenged like me, you may sometimes find yourself unsure of which way to go; however, the organisers provided a really helpful map and everyone was so friendly, if I found myself feeling lost, I would just ask someone nearby how to get to where I would need to go and they would help. A note for the superstitious as well – the prison has held 123 executions in the past, the last in 1936 and is reportedly haunted. This may either excite you or scare you!

Negasonic Teenage Warhead by
gothamcitycaitlin 
Picture provided by Nayru

Abandoned prison though it was, the organisers made sure it was well equipped with amenities. The venue is hired out regularly for events (including ghost hunting). There were more than enough toilets, a canteen and café with hot food, drinks and snacks and bins provided. There were rooms reserved for changing; though myself and many others were often just changing in the main baggage area for people to leave their bags and cases. Bags and cases were left in the first 2 rooms near the entrance, and the entrance was staffed all day. There weren’t any mirrors to hand, luckily, I had a large make up palette with a built-in mirror I was able to use when I changed cosplay. I would recommend making sure you have a mirror in case there aren’t any there, especially if you’re changing wigs etc. We went to Tesco first and got meal deals with us, however we easily could have bought food there. They even had vegan toasties, gluten free burgers and toasties, and veggie burgers and toasties! The prison is also situated in the town centre very close to the train station and car parks, it would be easy to pop out to get something if you wanted to.

Winter Soldier by Hunnibunigom 
Picture by oddshapedoctopus

After you’ve got your tickets, the organisers invite you to a Facebook group for the event to join which was extremely useful. A lot of cosplayers and photographers may already know each other, but many won’t. The Facebook group gave the organisers the ability to inform people about the event and organise things. It also gave us the chance to get to know other people and organise shoots before the event. Cosplayers could post their line ups and photographers could post examples of their work and ask if anyone had any interest in working with them. I personally found organising with some people beforehand helpful. It’s a large venue and there were a lot of people there, and it’s easy to get there and feel a little lost and feel awkward about approaching people asking if they would like to shoot. I had spoken with people from the group in advance, so I was able to message those people when I arrived to find them. The organisers did set up an amazing feature called The Bus Stop. This was a dedicated location where if you felt a little lost, overwhelmed, too awkward to go up to people, didn’t feel like you knew anyone etc, you could go to the bus stop and find other creators in the same boat looking for someone to work with. This was an amazing feature, as the nature of the event does mean you need to have a certain amount of confidence in asking people to work together.

Tifa by Nayru
Picture by Matthew Chiang

I chose to do 2 cosplays there, some did more, some stuck with the same one all day. We did arrive a little late; the event opened at half 9 and we didn’t get there until just after 11. We stopped at around 14:30 to eat and change cosplays, and I was then shooting right up until the end of the day at 17:00. It’s up to you how many you personally think you can do in one day and be happy with how many shots you’ve got! For me 2 is a good amount. Some people who arrived the day before and were staying in hotels did attend an evening shoot at Gloucester Cathedral set up by the event organisers.  I didn’t stay over on this occasion; however next time I will as I would like to get involved in any evening shoots the night before and bring an extra cosplay for that.

Toga Himiko by beckahasuna
Picture by cosplaybypedro

Overall, I thought the event was fantastic. If you’re a cosplayer or photographer who loves getting photos on location, this is a great opportunity for you to get some amazing content. My advice would be to make your cosplays weather appropriate – a lot of shooting was outdoors and even indoors there was no heating, so there were a lot of cold cosplayers! Bring bottles of drink to stay hydrated. Make sure you have a mirror for costume changes. I personally try and pick cosplays where I can use the same makeup to make the changeover as smooth as possible. Utilise the Facebook group, try and organise shoots in advance where possible and message people you know or have spoken to when you get there so that you can find them. Make sure your cosplay matches the location – you may have the best Disney Princess cosplay in the world but it’s going to look a little odd in an abandoned prison!

Spiderman by hunnibunigom
Pic by ashsudraphotography

Secret Con isn’t only held at Gloucester Prison, the location changes for variety. The next event will be on 4^th September 2022; and is being held at a Mansion in Staffordshire. We’ve only had a tease of what the venue looks like, but we have been told it’s a period building surrounded by lush green land with twisted trees and a large lake, private gardens with cut shrubbery and a stone water fountain. The interior has large stone fireplaces, intricate staircases, large doorways and a floor to ceiling library. I’m going to be applying for my ticket as soon as it’s open as I have lots of cosplays that this location would suit! The prison had a lot of Marcel, DC and Horror cosplays which worked fabulously; however a lot of these won’t suit a period mansion. I think we will see a lot more Anime, Disney and Video Game characters at the next one!

Sinon by Nayru
Pic by randomguywithadslr

For more information and to get your tickets to Secret Con click here! Hopefully see you at the next Secret Con! 

Nayru

Writer

Conventions Around the World - Part 3/4

G’day From Down Under!

We’d been living in the awesome, multi-cultural city of Melbourne for a few months, on our
second year of travelling and we were due another nerd fest. So, I was super excited when I discovered Supernova was right on our doorstep!

Convention number 3 took place at Melbourne showgrounds in April 2017. Supernova Comic Con & Gaming (Supernova for short!) is annually held in cities across Australia. It’s one of Australia’s biggest conventions along with OZ Comic Con.

Around 160,000+ people will attend all six events held by Supernova with Sydney being the busiest! It was rather busy at the Melbourne event but it never felt overcrowded like MCM London sometimes felt.

Australia is full of natural wonders, incredible beaches, deserts, unique experiences, and amazing landscapes but the most amazing thing I discovered here was the abundance of wildlife that resides down under!

As someone who works in the Animal Care industry, getting to see the huge variety of wildlife Australia has to offer was really a once in a lifetime experience. Even just walking around Melbourne you can spot a variety of birds like Rainbow Lorikeets, the hilarious and a little bit terrifying Magpies and the bin rummaging, Australian White Ibis with their unusually long beaks and weird ways.

Wildlife Conservation is really important to me, and I would like to just take a moment to remember the 3 billion wild animals that were affected during the 2019-2020 bush fires ☹. The world is burning but we can do our part to help. By making governments accountable, using renewable energy, eating a plant-based diet (Even if it’s just a few times a week!) consuming less, recycling and reusing (especially great to think about when it comes to creating cosplays!).

“If we save our wild places, we will ultimately save ourselves”

Crocodile Hunter – Steve Irwin

Saturday Day Passes:

Our chosen Cosplays for Supernova were David and Sydney from the Marvel television series – Legion.

If you haven’t watched it yet I highly recommend it, at least the first season was wonderfully weird! 

The show is so intense and creative it is unlike anything I have watched before. 

It is based off to Marvel Comic and follows the story of David Haller. A paranoid schizophrenic who is sectioned in a mental institution but is probably one of the most powerful mutants in the Universe. Dan Stevens’s performance in this show is out of this world and to be honest, I’ve had a huge crush on him ever since! 

We have yet to watch season 3 properly though as the show did start to slow down and get even more confusing than ever. This made us naturally lose interest but I’d quite like to finish it one day though to see if they at least gave us some answers!

The weather in Melbourne is a bit temperamental and can get cold, so another Winter convention on that side of the Hemisphere meant needing to wear thermals underneath my clothes again, but I didn’t mind too much, it kept me warm! Hats off to all you Cosplayers that brave the cold when your costumes may not require that much clothing, you’re braver than me! Haha!

I much prefer summer conventions, even though I would probably then complain of being too hot anyway! (I am British Afterall

My cosplay was super easy to create. I just cut up pieces of red tape to stick to onto a plain black hoodie and tied my hair in pigtails. I already had the rest of the outfit in my wardrobe! This was also my first time trying to accurately contour my make up to look more like Rachel Keller, who plays Sydney Barrett.

Jakes costume took a while to come together. We looked everywhere for a long grey coat, at least one that was a reasonable price. In the end we found this one in a Charity shop. He already had a black t-shirt which we used by applying yellow tape in the shape of a triangle to match the one David wears in the show. The telepathic head piece that David uses to help control his powers was made just by using paper, tape, tin foil and tiny circuit boards from a Hardware store. I really wanted to try and get it to light up, but I left it a bit last minute to do.

One of the Cosplay guests was Laura Gilbert - @Infamousbylaura, who does an amazing adaptation of Margot Robbie’s - Harley Quinn, as well as many other beautiful and creative cosplays. 

Fun fact: I fan girled pretty hard when I walked past her outside of the convention on the way in. I’m so bummed I was too shy to stop and ask for a photo with her! 

Cosplayer: Laura Gilbert - @Infamousbylaura

Photographer: @alangamblephotography

And some of the celebrity guests included Alyson Hannigan (Willow from Buffy, who’s panel I went to watch. I’m a Huge Buffy fan and she came across as such a lovely person!) Daniel Gillies (Vampire Diaries) Zack McGowan (Agents of Shield) and Shannon Purser (Barb from Stranger Things).

Melbourne Supernova had plenty on offer in terms of entertainment and things to do and see throughout the day.

Cosplayers everywhere, celebrity photos & autographs, Guest there’s also little cinema rooms if I remember correctly which show new movie & gaming trailers, plenty of stalls for shopping/browsing, amazing artists showing off their work, Movie props such as the Jurassic Park vehicles, fun themed photobooths and a even more fun Silent Disco!!

Overall, I rated this Melbourne Supernova almost as good at London’s MCM. Celebrity guests I believe are bigger in London and there is definitely more Cosplayers and stalls. But in terms of things to do, Supernova had just as much to offer, plus a few bonus quirks like the photobooth backdrops and the Silent Disco which I don’t remember seeing anything like that at MCM 2016. (See previous post!)

*Below are some of the amazing Cosplays from the weekend! I apologize again, I didn’t catch any names! please tag below if you recognise anyone!

Sammy

Writer

Interview With Atuin Cosplay

I would like to introduce you all to my good friend Atuin Cosplay (pronouns they/them). I met Atuin Cosplay and their husband Mr Multiverse through comic cons, this wonderful hobby and our mutual love of various geek culture and wands! Together they own an incredible wand business called Octarine Wands which I highly recommended. They are both the most genuine, lovely people you could hope to meet.

Atuin Cosplay is very passionate about cosplay and all things geeky. Atuins creations are amazing! They go all in with large props, body paint and crazy attention to detail. Atuin is a well known cosplayer and they attend conventions up and down the country throughout the year. They are also a huge LBGTQIA+ advocate and member of the community.  

We have spent so much time at many cons together in England and Scotland and can often be found checking out artist alley or hunting down cake stalls together! 

Make sure you go and check out Atuin's Instagram Atuin Cosplay to check out more of their great work!

When did you start cosplaying? 
I believe it was 2016.

How did you get into cosplay? 
Our Friends took us to a comic con and my husband wanted to Cosplay, but didn’t want to on his own. So I cosplayed as Fry from Futurama (specifically from the sad dog episode) and loved it.

Which characters have you cosplayed? 
I’ve cosplayed various versions of Link from The Legend of Zelda & Skull Kid from Majoras Mask, Fry from Futurama, The Chamberlain from The Dark Crystal, Finn the Human from Adventure Time and Rincewind from the Discworld series, Hypnos from Hades and Milo from Pokemon Sword... I am sure I’ve missed a few.

Do you have a favourite costume? 
I think it has to be The Chamberlain.

Do you act in costume or purely look like the character? 
Very rarely, if my face is covered I do a bit of character acting.

Do you make/buy/commission your costumes? 
All three! I try my best to make all my stuff, but sometimes it is simply easier to buy parts of it and also my husband Aidan makes a fair amount for/with me.

What skills have you learnt cosplaying? 
I have learnt some basic foam work, how to use Cosclay, how to have more patience and also how to pose for photos.. I know it sounds easy and I’m still not great at it, but I was so so bad at posing for photos at the start.

What is your favourite cosplay? 
It is a toss up between the Chamberlain and Rincewind. The Chamberlain because it is really fun to do because people are scared of it, and I can act a little with it. And Rincewind because he has The Luggage, so I can fill a huge box full of food, things I buy and also chairs and just drag it around with me! 

What was your easiest cosplay to do? 
That would be Finn the Human. It is basically shorts, tshirt and a backpack. I can add or take away any details and its still obviously Finn.

What was your most challenging cosplay to do? 
The Chamberlain! He took a fair bit of thought, to get the shape right and also was the most challenging to wear as it is heavy and REALLY hot inside.

Which cosplays are you most proud of? 

Again The Chamberlain. That was when I figured out how to use Cosclay, practiced all sorts of painting skills and had to think how to make this big clumsy character wearable and moveable.

Where do you tend to shop for cosplay costumes and accessories? 
Charity shops are awesome for picking up random clothing, props and bits and bobs for cheap.

Do you have any costume tips/tricks to share? 
Pick a cosplay that has some form of bag, Comic Cons get crazy hot and busy so being able to carry a drink is a life saver.

Who is your favourite comic book character? 
I don’t really read a lot of main stream comic books. I really like random comics I’ve picked up from various indie artists and writers at comic cons. That sounds way more pretentious than it is lol.  

What are your personal fandoms? 
Zelda, Lord of the Rings, Discworld and The Dark Crystal.

Body positivity is a very hot topic in cosplay at the moment. There seems to be pressure to be a certain shape/weight/look to pull off certain characters. There can be a lot of negativity in terms of trolling within groups based on people’s appearance. How have you found the cosplay community personally? 
In general I have found it to be really welcoming and supportive of all body types. You do however always get the odd person who feels it’s their right to tell you you’re not their cup of tea (but not usually as politely). The best way to deal with them for myself is to block and move on, for my own sanity. Don’t feed the Trolls.

Have you done any charity work as a cosplayer? 
I actually haven’t! I have been to various charity events running our stall but not in cosplay.

How do you feel about character adaptations of a costume rather than making a carbon copy of what’s in print/film etc? 
I love people making the cosplay a bit different and unique. I really like when people merge different fandoms into one cosplay too! People are really clever and talented, its awesome to see.

What is the best and worst things about cosplay? 

The best things are learning new skills and then showing off and sharing these skills. The worst things are how uncomfortable some cosplays are... the heat!

As a dab hand at attending conventions and events do you have any advice/do and don’ts to share? 
Do take lots of photos, BUT always ALWAYS ask permission. It is great to appreciate someone’s hard work, but let them know. That way they can get into the right position etc, or they simply might not want to be photographed and that is absolutely their choice. Talk to people, even if it is to just say “OMG I LOVE YOUR COSPLAY!”. Most people want to chat, especially stall holders. You can make some great friends and discover some really amazing artists.

What has been one of the best things to come from cosplaying? 
For me it has to be the community. I have made some wonderful friends that I wouldn’t have met without cosplaying.

Stitchitfelix

What other cosplayers do you admire? 
I am a little bias, but my husband Mr Multiverse Cosplay. He genuinely blows me away with his swords and amours, he’s a really talented guy. Stitchitfelix is incredible at sewing, his cosplays are always so good. Wolf Boi Cosplay has the most impressive makeup skills!

As a cosplayer with disabilities have you found any problems when attending comic con? 
Unfortunately yes. The larger the con the worse they tended to be for it. I think where the larger Comic Cons hire security that isn’t used to dealing with a large group full of diverse people they really were bad with disabilities. I have been questioned by con security and employees why I was using disabled toilets (on one occasion a man fully smashed on the toilet door to shout at me), made to walk the whole length of comic cons on crutches to get disabled passes, and generally had them be hostile for needing extra assistance. Thankfully though these have been in the past and the last few years have been so much better. Smaller cons have always been lovely and very helpful, often listening to disabled attendees about what is helpful and what is not. So BIG kudos to those events.

Does having disabilities stop you from enjoying cosplay? 
My disabilities have never stopped me enjoying cosplay. I will tire easier and be sore and so just try and fit that into my cosplay (like putting chairs in Rincewinds luggage so I can easily rest, or including a staff in a cosplay that I can use to rest on).

As a member of the LGBTQ community do you feel comic con and the cosplay scene to
be supportive and inclusive? 
Absolutely! People are insanely supportive of the LGBT+ community. Comic Cons are the only place where I feel comfortable enough to hold my husband’s hand and feel safe. Also there are whole sections of LGBT art at most comic cons. It is such a wonderful community of people.

Do you have any advice for people looking to do cosplay photoshoots? 
I would say go as a group, it is safer and also way more fun!

What do you like to do when you’re not cosplaying? 
I’m a big old nerd so I like to read, write and play games (computer and board).

What job do you have in the real world? 
My husband and I work together making wands and LGBT pendants. We sell them at Comic Cons as well as provide orders to shops.

For people wanting to get into cosplay, what advice would you give them? 
If you’re getting overwhelmed at the idea of making a cosplay, then buy it, or various bits. There is no shame in buying a cosplay and if it helps having a base to adapt or grow on then that’s a huge bonus.

What are the best things about Comic Con? 
Seeing friends, talking to like minded people, Artist Alley and seeing all the amazing cosplays!

What are your future cosplay plans? 
My plans are Cardcaptor Sakura and to remake Rincewind with some nicer material and easier luggage to drag around (the current one is pretty heavy). 

Which conventions/events do you have planned to attend this year? 
We are planning on going to most comic cons this year starting with Mega Con Birmingham. its a new event so it should be pretty exciting! 

What are you most looking forward to for the rest of the year?
Comic Con wise I am most looking forward to MCM London October. It's the main comic con event for us and we make a mini holiday out of it. Generally I am looking forward to mine and my husbands holiday. We haven't been abroad since 2013 and like most people we had any recent holiday plans ruined by the pandemic. Fingers crossed all goes to plan! To be honest I look forward to so many things! I love birthdays and holidays, upcoming game releases, I'm pretty easily entertained! 

I would like to thank Atuin Cosplay for their time with this interview. All photos have been provided by Atuin Cosplay and were taken by Mr Multiverse Cosplay. As always you can expect to see more awesome cosplayer interviews here soon!

Skye Fawkes Cosplay
Editor In Chief and Head Writer

Interview with Nayru Cosplay

Doctor Strange 
Picture by @projectshowcase

For our first cosplayer interview of 2022 I would like to introduce you all to my little sister and writer for the Daily Cosplaynet, Nayru Cosplay (pronouns she/her). 

Nayru Cosplay is a nerd through and through. Ever since we were small she was always gaming, very studious, nose always in a book and literally was the real life Hermione Granger, big frizzy hair included! Since those days she may have lost the big frizzy hair but she can still be found with her nose in a book, gaming and now has even more nerdy fandoms and interests including cosplay. She has appeared at MCM London as a guest speaker and attends conventions up and down the country throughout the year. Nayru is also a huge advocate for body positivity amongst the cosplay community. 

Nayru Cosplay is an Instagram sensation! Make sure to go and check out her Instagram @nayru_cosplay to check out more of her great work!

When did you start cosplaying?

Esdeath
Picture by @hannahlouphotos

The first cosplay I did was Lara Croft back in 2017! Looking back it wasn’t as good as my cosplays now, and I improved that cosplay since then!

How did you get into cosplay?
By being a nerd! I’ve been a huge nerd my whole life always been into gaming and was one of those kids queueing up at midnight for Harry Potter book launches; I’d wanted to cosplay and go to conventions for a while but I wasn’t really sure how to start or have someone to go with. Then one day I just started doing it and once I started I was hooked!

Which characters have you cosplayed?
Now that’s a question! I think I’ve done over 50 cosplays! I’ll just list some of them – Merida, Galadriel, Tifa Lockheart, Loki, Doctor Strange, Ram from Re:Zero, Nezuko, Misty, Toga Himiko. There’s too many to list!

Do you have a favourite costume? 
I always struggle picking a favourite! I have so many I love and I’m always doing new ones so it’s always changing!

Do you act in costume or purely look like the character? 
I certainly pose in character, I make sure my poses and facial expressions suit the character; and will “act” in character if I’m making a cosplay video. Just going around con though not shooting I’m just me!

Harley Quinn
Picture by @cosplaybypedro

Do you make/buy/commission your costumes? 
I have made some props/accessories in the past. My Nuka Cola Girl tanks, Merida bow and arrows, Princess Bubblegum crown. I just don’t really have the patience for it though and I don’t actually find that aspect enjoyable personally, my favourite part of cosplaying is actually being in the cosplay so I tend to buy or commission now!

What skills have you learnt cosplaying?
I think you have to learn to be resourceful! Thinking of ways you can do things, how to make fixes to things that break or aren’t working, learning to reuse parts of cosplays for different characters to save money.

Where do you tend to shop for cosplay costumes and accessories?
I have a few places I use! I’ve just started getting Genshin cosplays, Uwowo cosplay and Kasou Wig are my favourites for Genshin. Othe places are Wig Is Fashion, Miccostumes, Aliexpress, Amazon, Ebay, Etsy. Depends on the cosplay really!

Do you have any costume tips/tricks to share? 
Use wigs/outfit pieces for multiple characters where possible as it will save money. Try and think seasonally when choosing convention cosplays – choose things that are warmer or that you could layer under for winter and cooler ones for summer conventions! A silicone wig grip is your best friend. 

Merida
Picture by @ninetythirdstreet

What are your personal fandoms?
I have so many favourite fandoms! My top 3 are probably Zelda, Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. I also love Genshin Impact, Fallout, Tomb Raider, Devil May Cry, Marvel, and anime like Re:Zer ad, My Hero Academia. And of course Disney!

Body positivity is a very hot topic in cosplay at the moment. There seems to be pressure to be a certain shape/weight/look to pull off certain characters. There can be a lot of negativity in terms of trolling within groups based on people’s appearance. How have you found the cosplay community personally?

The cosplay community themselves are actually usually very supportive and positive about anyone cosplaying whatever they want regardless of their size, shape, race, gender etc. True cosplayers know that none of this actually matters in cosplay. I have actually hosted a panel at MCM London in the past talking about body confidence in cosplay and discussing these issues. Trolls online are usually actually not people in the community, people who just like to troll anyone; but the community itself will be supportive. It can be hard and put people off of even starting cosplaying if they fear that they will get troll comments online, and it could happen. I’ve certainly had it and had plenty of fat jokes as a “plus size” cosplayer. But the support I get FAR outweighs the negative. And you have to try and remember it’s not personal. The people who troll will find anyone to try and troll, find anything to pick at as they get their kicks from getting a rise out of people while they hide behind the anonymity of their screens. They would never dare walk up to you and say it to your face. And that says far more about them than it does about you – do you even care about the opinion of someone like that?

Have you done any charity work as a cosplayer?
Not yet but it’s definitely something I would like to do! 

V
Picture by @wadewilson

How do you feel about character adaptations of a costume rather than making a carbon copy of what’s in print/film etc?
I’m absolutely into this! I’ve done genderbend cosplays such as my President Loki which was done as a femme style instead and I’ve done lots of cosplays where I’ve changed it to make it a more unique version. Doing screen accurate ones is fun but being creative with them and making something new that other people aren’t doing is also fun!

What is the best and worst piece of cosplay advice you’ve received?
I can’t actually think of any specific advice I’ve received! I feel like I’ve mostly worked things out as I went along!

As a dab hand at attending conventions and events do you have any advice/do and don’ts to share?
Don’t wear shoes you can’t manage in! It’s ok to forgo accuracy if it means you can actually walk around all day. Eight hours in crazy heels if you can’t really do that will take its toll. Do stop for breaks and make sure you eat and drink properly! Especially longer conventions that are 3 days will be a struggle if you don’t do that. Wear warmer cosplays at winter cons and cooler ones at summer cons. Bring basic make up for touch ups, wig glue if you have a glued down wig, safety pins in case of any mishaps!

Ram
Picture by @wadewilson

What has been one of the best things to come from cosplaying?
Definitely the friends I’ve made! I met my best friends through cosplay and conventions and I have some amazing friends thanks to it!

What other cosplayers do you admire? Obviously Jessica Nigri is a queen. There’s a cosplayer I follow Seeuxiaorou who is amazing! Sayathefox, Leon Chiro. There’s so many I follow!

Do you have any advice for people looking to do cosplay photoshoots? 
Conventions are a great way to meet photographers. Posting in con groups on facebook and cosplay groups will help you find photographers. Try and make sure your location suits the character! Practice your poses and facial expressions, use reference photos if you need to.

What do you like to do when you’re not cosplaying?

I love gaming, at the moment I’m hooked on Genshin! I also watch anime and other shows etc, I’m often on Playstation Party with friends.

For people wanting to get into cosplay, what advice would you give them?
Go for it! Pick a character that’s fairly easy to do as your first one to ease you into it, and pick a character you love because that will help motivate you!

What are your future cosplay plans?
I’m currently working on Raiden Shogun, Ganyu, Lisa and Ayaka from Genshin Impact as well as finalising a Princess Zelda cosplay!

Toga Himiko
Picture by @xantheboudoir

Which conventions/events do you have planned to attend this year?
Definitely MCM London! I’m also going to Secret Con next month, and I’m *hoping* to go to Anime Expo in the states!

What are you most looking forward to for the rest of the year?
Getting to cosplay with my friends! It’s the best part of cosplay and conventions for me!

Thank you to Nayru for taking the time to do this interview for us! Stay tuned for more cosplayer interviews coming soon! 

Skye Fawkes

Editor In Chief and Head Writer

Conventions Around the World - Part 2/4

Kia Ora!

So here we are, on to Convention number 2, which took place in real-life MIDDLE EARTH!!

We moved to New Zealand on a year long Working Holiday Visas in 2015. We spent a few months travelling around the North Island before we headed down to Wellington in January 2016 to find jobs and enjoy Kiwi life!

Wellington is a Windy little Capital City, situated around a waterfront promenade and not short on nerd culture. We absolutely loved our time there!

June 2016’s Wellington Convention, Armageddon was held at the Westpac Stadium, now called the Sky Stadium. Just a 5-minute walk from our little Thorndon Quay flat and a stadium we had visited before to watch the All Blacks!

It is an interesting choice of venue for a convention as the whole thing is just a large round circle, so rather than wondering up and down aisles, you must go all the way around or back track if you want to go back and visit certain stalls!

I would like to start off Part 2 with one of my favourite quotes, from the poem “All That is Gold Does Not Glitter” by J.R.R. Tolkien

“Not all those who wander are lost”

Day 1 - Saturday:

I attended Armageddon with my partner, and we Cosplayed as the Black Canary & the Green Arrow, a show we were pretty obsessed with at the time (We just love Steven Amell!)

My costume was easy enough to assemble by just purchasing a second-hand faux leather jacket, wearing black jeans and boots, black fingerless gloves and I made the mask out of felt. The wig was a last minute basic one from a party store! (I wish I’d splashed a bit more of the wig as the synthetic ones are so horribly shiny!)

Jake isn’t overly into cosplay but he’s a good sport and joined in with me anyway. His costume we made by spray painting a second-hand jacket dark green and cutting the sleeves to turn it into a tunic. He wore a green shirt that had a hood underneath, the green didn’t quite match but it was a good effort for the budget we were on. And again, using felt to cut the eye mask.

 We brought a kids toy Bow & Arrow and spray painted it with a super shiny black which actually really turned out pretty awesome and looked very authentic!

Joker Cosplayer: Unknown

I think we made it around the whole convention within the hour, so it really isn’t a huge convention, but it was still a lot of fun with plenty of amazing stalls, interactive games, and some really cool cosplays. Everyone was so friendly; we had a lot of compliments on our Costumes even though they were a little mediocre (I can be a bit of a perfectionist if you didn’t notice! Lol)

We saw guests such as Liv Moore from IZombie, Natalia Tena who plays Tonks in Harry Potter and even wrestling professional; The Honky Tonk Man!

Watching the wrestling was one of our highlights of the day. We both grew up watching WWF/WWE and I think this was the first live wrestling we’d ever seen, so it was fun cheering and booing along with the crowd!

 

Picture of me in my STAR Labs Hoodie at Lake Joffre National Park, British Columbia, 2021

I hadn’t been working long before Armageddon so I couldn’t afford to make many purchases, but my absolute favourite thing I brought from that weekend was my STAR Labs (from, The Flash) Hoodie, which I love so much, because it has survived FIVE years of wear! I wear it ALL the time to work and the letters are only just starting to fray now in 2021! I wish I could remember the name of the seller. 

 Day 2 - Sunday:

I was lucky enough to discover my new work colleagues, at my job at The Pet Centre, shared my love of Pop culture, so a group of us brought tickets and started planning out our Cosplays!

The rest of my cosplay group included Harley Quinn, Storm and Katana! Whilst my other friend, Indya, was selling her, cute AF, Kawaii art at the convention!

I decided to go as a femme Deadpool (I didn’t want to have to wear the whole suit all day over my face! Hats off to all you Cosplayers that are dedicated enough to do shit like that!)

(@Loony.Bear –
future article to come -
art & street fashion!)

I can’t remember where I ordered the suit from, but it wasn’t an expensive one and I got all my weapons from various dollar stores around the city, which I spray painted black to look more authentic.

I used Velcro straps to hold my katanas in place on my back, extra strong black tape to tape guns to my legs and I printed a Deadpool belt buckle, which I stuck on a bum bag so that I had somewhere I could store my belongings!

It was pretty cold in Wellington, being as June is their Winter! I had to wear thermals and my trainers underneath the suit so that I wouldn’t freeze my arse off or have to walk around without shoes! It did unfortunately make the suit look a little lumpy, but it was freezing outside and even inside the stadium, which I learnt very quickly from attending the day before!

This was my first and only convention with friends and it was just so much fun! I believe that finding yourself a little cosplay group of pals is a must-do for all of you nerds out there!

Photo by
@onecameraphotography

 As a group we did get asked quite a bit for photos from other attendees, which was a lot of fun and super flattering but by the end I remember everyone was exhausted! 

It made me appreciate cosplayers even more as it is exhausting enough attending a con all day/weekend, wearing heavy and sometimes uncomfortable costumes. Let alone being constantly asked for photos every 5 minutes. So please be respectful, if you want to take a photo but spot them sitting, eating, or even going to the bathroom, just politely wait for them to finish as they are only human after all! 

A journalist had snapped this quick shot of me
wearing Hugh Jackman’s face and
I made it to the news! LOL!

A friend of Indya’s had printed it out hoping to find a Deadpool cosplayer to re-enact that hilarious scene from the movie where Deadpool removes his mask and underneath is a cut out of Wolverine’s face stuck to his! This little sketch got a lot of laughs and applause, I pretty much wore it for the rest of the day!!  

MELBOURNE SUPERNOVA – COMING SOON!

Sammy

Writer