Cosplay line-up for Anime Iowa!!!

Friday morning/afternoon: Sonic dress
Friday evening (opening ceremonies): Wonder Woman
Saturday morning/afternoon: Dr. Facilier
Saturday evening/Masquerade judging: Mario
Sunday: Minnie Mouse

We’re headed out tomorrow! Can’t wait to be a guest this weekend and see everyone! We’ll have a booth in the vendor hall and will most likely be there when not running a panel or whatever other guest things we’ll be doing :) Feel free to stop by to check out our books, crafts, cosplay, geekery, hugs, and all that jazz <3

Hi there! Thank you so much for your message! When I do different interpretations of characters (like Wonder Woman) I usually base it on styles I like to wear. I like wearing ballgowns, so I thought, “Wouldn’t it be cool if I did that?” I love Wonder Woman’s normal outfit, but I knew I wouldn’t feel comfortable in it, and a huge part of having great cosplay (and normal wear) is being in things you’re comfortable in. So I sketched the design to the ballgown, and them my partner made it :) (also known as “the wifey” aka “that woman I met 13 years ago who got me into cosplay in the first place”)

And sometimes I decide to just have some extra fun with the cosplays, like this crazy rainbow make up I did for a “Rainbow Mario”:

And sometimes I decide to be a bit brave and step out of my comfort zone if it’s a design I really like, like pin up stuff. So I decided to do a variation to Dr. Facilier from Princess and the Frog. I was hesitant at first but when I put everything on and took a pic I was like, “Dayum.”

Accessories really add to things, too, like the top hat and the cane (and I also had a Tiana frog, too ^__^)

Your idea sounds amazing! I would say the comic version may be a bit more fun and colorful for a skater dress, but you can also have some fun with those kick ass wings from the movie. I would say sketch both. Look at reference pictures for skater dresses and just let the inspiration come to you, because it will. When I sketched the ball gown I pretty much looked at pictures and took elements from different ballgowns that I liked, then went with it. 

And don’t be afraid to get creative. With the Mario dress, my partner added a little pocket to the dress at the last minute, and she also used a kid’s bedsheet to do the ruffle because we couldn’t find Mario fabric.

Have fun with your cosplay!

Seriously, if you want to cosplay, do it. I know some people worry about what others will think of their cosplay, and I understand that feeling, especially after getting my share of negative comments. Don’t let those comments get you down. I know it’s hard, because it’s really easy to focus on the negative, on the “what if someone makes fun of me.” And, honestly, I do it too. I have that doubtful voice in my head. But then I remember all the fun I have and how amazing I feel when I’m walking around as these characters. That’s what you should focus on, and that’s what you should think about. Instead of wondering, “Will someone make fun of me,” think about all the fun you’ll have. Think in positive what if scenarios. What if everyone loves your cosplay? What if you meet some amazing people? Don’t let the negative, or the potential of something negative, stop you. Cosplay is something you do for yourself; it’s something you do because you want to have fun, because you like to be creative, and you love a certain character or series. Keep those things in mind.

I got to do an interview for Women Write About Comics and I kinda love that they used this snippet of the interview in the preview pic <3 <3 <3 This incident happened nearly 2 years ago but it’s still my favorite response every to being bullied. 

A cosplay piece I wrote for Twin Cities Geek.

Premiered my Dr. Facilier at CONvergence and I really like how it turned out (many thanks to the wifey, as always, for her sewing skills). It was my first time doing cosplay with fishnet and shorts so I was kinda iffy at first, but I’m pretty much in love with it now and love the way I look. 

I’ve officially cosplayed both heroine and villain from the same movie :)

Went to Pride today so I did some rainbow makeup for my Wonder Woman :)  It was the first time I tried makeup like this and I pretty much want to do it all the time now <3

So at Colossalcon I got to walk down a runway as Wonder Woman for a fashion show that featured my wifey’s dresses (some of which are in the picture behind me).  I’ve never felt so amazing in my life <3  Here’s to more opportunities to show off what my wifey can do!

Picture by Dave Yang Photography.

Insecure thoughts are going to happen, they just will.  Even with all of my confidence I still have that paranoid voice in my head, that kid who was called “weird” for liking anime and video games, she still talks to me like, “They’re going to make fun of you,” “Remember when they made fun of you,” and I do worry – that’s normal.  The worrying stops when the cosplay is done, I put it on, I look into the mirror, and I smile.  Focus on that feeling of accomplishment when you finish that cosplay, because the only person you need to impress with your cosplay is you.     

I wanted to share an interview my wifey and I got to do for Geek x Girls about our cosplay and body positivity and all that good stuff  :)

All cosplay is made by my wifey Snow Tigra:)  (and occasionally designed by me, like the Mario dress)

Pictures are by Nude Carbon Studios and X-Geek.

Interview is here :)

thatjayjustice:

How to respond to able bodied people who
a. can’t reconcile their mental image of what disabled people are ‘supposed’ to look like with what an actual disabled person looks like. Not all disabilities are visible.
b. claim ‘nutrition is 80% health’ when any chronically ill person knows better.
Raise your hand if you’re chronically ill and tired of hearing that if you just ate right, all your health problems would magically disappear

Get em’, Jay!