Q&A Interview with Kasea Vp

I recently spoke with video game and anime cosplayer Kasea Vp. She discusses what got her into cosplaying, what happens to her costumes afterwards, and what it takes to be a good cosplayer.

What got you interested in cosplaying to begin with?

Well, I was always a nerdy person, even as a child. I had a huge admiration for video games, comics, and drawing. I remember my sister and I would always love to dress up and make our own costumes and our parents completely supported us and our creativity.

As I grew older, I found a new passion for manga and anime, I wanted to recreate everything I ever loved in cosplay form. I started back in 2005 and I haven't looked back since. I pride myself on creating my own high quality cosplays; each time I make a new cosplay I learn something new and I love that. It's really become a passion of mine!

So do you make all your own costumes?

I do indeed! A lot of my stuff is hand sewn, believe it or not. I do have a sewing machine, but I'm just so used to sewing by hand. It's the way my dad taught me growing up, so it's like second nature to me.

Is Halloween your favorite holiday?

I do love Halloween but what's funny is that I don't dress up on that day though. It's like my day off. The rest of the world get to costume for the day and I'll take over for the other 364days. Hahaha.

What happens to an outfit after you are done wearing it?

All my cosplays go into HUGE wardrobe of other cosplays. I would never want to sell or give them away because each outfit is tailored to fit me and they mean so much to me. I put so much blood, sweat and tears into each one. They're like my kids or something!

What are a few of your favorite animes?

My top three favorite animes have to be Initial D, Sengoku Basara, and BECK-Mongolia Chop Squad. No doubt about it though, Initial D is my favorite hands down! I've watched the complete series over three times just this year and I never get tired of it. I think I love it because it's very much like my own life.

Are you much of a gamer?

I am a gamer! I wish I could play more often, but cosplaying and my real job do take up a lot of my time. My favorite Xbox 360 game wuold have to be Gears of War. I love my turrets!

What are some non-nerdy things that you like to do in your spare time?

Hahaha, in my spare time I love to be around my car. A six speed Mazda RX-8....that's my baby. I call her Hachi. I've developed a huge passion for cars and drifting so I like going to car meets and seeing other peoples' cars and what they've done to them. I can't wait until my hubby gets his RX-7 up and running so we can race! I also love to cook (I'm a grill master!), I love being outdoors (hiking, kayaking, rock climbing), traveling, and doing gymnastics(was a competitive gymnast for 12 years).

Is there a character you haven’t cosplayed yet but want to in the future?

Oh yeah, I wish I could cosplay Yuna's Floral Fallal Dress sphere from Final Fantasy X-2. Of course the outfit seems doable, but I gotta figure out a way to levitate! I would also love to make her Berserker dress sphere one day.

What was your most embarrassing moment ever cosplaying at a con?

It wasn't really MY embarrassing moment, but it was embarrassing for the other person. My photographer friend, husband, and I were all doing a photo shoot in a pool. This guy walks up out of nowhere, a complete stranger and he's like,"Hey can I take you out to dinner?! You're hot!" I responded, "Oh, well maybe you should ask my husband!" He looks at my husband and walks away in shame. It was so funny and random though.

Speaking of which, you recently cosplayed as Skarlet from Mortal Kombat at Anime Expo 2012. Weren’t you worried about a sudden breeze rolling in? 

Yes, I love Skarlet! I love being true to the character, however, I'm not wearing just a thong under my loin cloth! I assure you the bottom I made is just like a string bikini bottom. So even if there was a breeze, it wouldn't be that bad. 

Last question. Do you have any advice for someone who might be interested in cosplaying but doesn’t know how to start?

The best advice I can give anyone who is looking into cosplay is to just dive right on in! There is no guide on how to cosplay, just do what you love and what you are comfortable with. If you do need more advice or tips they have a ton of tutorials and forums online or on Youtube. You can always ask me too at Kasea VP Cosplay Fanpage (on Facebook) I'm always happy to help!:) Also, confidence is key! I find that so attractive in any cosplayer!

Link to my page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kasea-Vp-Cosplay-Fanpage/294480339215

Q&A Interview with Meg Turney

Meg Turney is a gaming and anime enthusiast who also loves cosplaying. She most recently cosplayed as a female Psycho from Borderlands at Comic-Con which she somehow made both sexy and scary at the same time. Meg recently sat down with me and talked about her tastes in video games and other nerdy stuff.

How did you first become interested in gaming and cosplaying?

Well, I’ve been interested in video games since I can remember. I have two older brothers who are total gamers, so I thought anything they did was cool and any time I got to take a turn getting my ass handed to me in Street Fighter was a glorious moment for little me. My parents worked a lot when we were young, so video games and TV were our babysitters.

With cosplaying, I was obviously a little older. I think I was 14 the first time I attended an anime convention (Ushicon 1!) and saw people in costumes. I was hooked immediately.

What was the first character you ever cosplayed and where was it?

The first character I ever attempted to cosplay was Sailor Heavy Metal Papillion at A-Kon 13, but it was pretty horrendous. My wings weren’t finished in time and I didn’t have a wig. The first cosplay I actually completed was Chun-Li and I wore that at Ushicon 2.

What type of video games are you into mostly?

I’m kind of all over the place when it comes to gaming, but there’s a big soft spot in my heart for SNES games. It’s the system I grew up with – even when newer consoles came out, I always found my way back to my SNES. Even now, I still get excited to break it out and play when I get a chance.

Are you more of an Xbox 360 or PS3 girl?

Xbox 360 all the way. I just find more of my friends are on XBL and it’s always served me well. Of course, I was totally spoiled in college because my mom has a PS3 and a Wii, so I never really had to choose. Now that I’m living on my own, I have to cling to my 360 for warmth and pretend I don’t miss having access to a PS3.

What are your thoughts on motion gaming like Kinect / PS Move. Fun or cheesy?

Both. I think the cheesiness is part of the fun. With games like Dance Central, of course the dancing is fun, but watching your friends and family make fools of themselves is really what gets me. I think the reason I haven’t given up on motion gaming is because I see how quickly young kids pick it up and although some of us older gamers think it has no place in our homes, those little kids are going to keep it alive.

What is your #1, all-time, most favorite game ever?

Hands down, Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. It’s one of the first games I ever beat by myself and I just love everything about it. I still bust it out every once in awhile and replay it. An honorable mention goes to Resident Evil 4, but I think I’m biased because I played it while I was recovering from a knee surgery and on pain meds, that game is crazy scary.

Considering you’ve cosplayed as Bulma from DBZ and Faye from Cowboy Bebop, I take it you’re also into anime. What are some of your favorites?

Well, Cowboy Bebop and Dragon Ball Z are definitely up there. Sailor Moon is absolutely my #1, but that’s because deep down, I’m still a 13 year-old girl who believes in fate and loves frilly, sappy love stories. They’re actually redoing the anime to bring it closer to the manga and I’m beyond excited.

Your website has a section on it for Nerdy Pillows. What’s that about? 

Nerdy Pillows was originally something I just did for fun. I gave the pillows I made as gifts and after a lot of prodding, I finally made an etsy shop for them last year. I mostly do custom orders, but I have a few stock designs, as well.

Tell me something about yourself that nobody knows.

Hmmm… this isn’t something absolutely no one knows, but it’s not something I think I’ve told a lot of people so I think it still counts: My tattoo is upside down. I had wanted a pixelated less than 3 for well over a year by the time I actually went in to do it, and I’d actually been drawing it on my wrist for months to make sure I wouldn’t get sick of seeing it there.

Somehow, though, the design got flipped and in my excitement I didn’t notice until I was walking out of the tattoo parlor and the guy I was dating at the time said, “Didn’t you want it the other way?” I was stunned. It’s not like it doesn’t make a heart the way that it is, it’s just that it faces everyone else the way I wanted it to face me.

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To see more of Meg's awesome cosplays, like her Facebook fan page, follow her on Twitter @MegTurney, or check out her official website www.megturney.com.

Q&A Interview with Jessica Nigri

Jessica Nigri is a well-known cosplayer who gained notoriety last year at the San Diego Comic-Con when she dressed up as a unique version of Pikachu. Since then she has cosplayed many other characters from different anime and video games such as Rikku from Final Fantasy X-2 and Yoko from Gurren Lagann. Aside from watching anime and cosplaying, Jessica is also an avid gamer. She took the time to sit down with Examiner recently to discuss her background in geekery and her plans for the future.

When did you first get into watching anime?

When I was around 6 or 7 I was living in New Zealand, and in the afternoon they had a little 2-hour slot after school for cartoons before the news! Now, I remember they switched BeetleBorgs out with Pokemon, and I was furious at first ... until I got a couple episodes in and watched the touching scene where Ash saves Pikachu from a HUGE flock of Spearow and Pikachu then in turn saves Ash. As a 6-year-old, tears were streaming down my face and I was hooked (like all the other millions of children). They say psychologically you imprint on the world when you are around the age of 7, and since around then I was eating, breathing, speaking, playing and living Pokemon, I was doomed (or blessed?) to have Pokemon in my life forever!! Now, once DragonBall Z stepped in, it brought my anime/Japanese obsession to a whole new power level ... and another story.

How did you get the idea to start going to conventions in costume?

I had heard about going to conventions and had sometimes stumbled across them on the internet but like a lot of people, did not know where to look, where one was in my area, etc. I did not really have a strong desire to go to one, only because ... I had no idea what they were like! The Christmas before San Diego Comic-Con, a good friend of mine gave me tickets to go in 2009. Needless to say the months leading up were long and could not pass fast enough!! :D I had NO idea what to dress as, but I knew I wanted to just go and have fun! To be honest, I had no idea what I was in for when I dressed as Pikachu and Rikku from Final Fantasy X-2! Now, remember they were my very FIRST costumes EVER. So they were NOT very good! xD And I am going to work hard at making future costumes BETTER.

What is your favorite character that you have cosplayed in the past? Planned characters for the future?

My favorite costume was my Dark Magician Girl from Yu-Gi-Oh costume. I chose the Dark Magician Girl, because when I was younger and Yu-Gi-Oh came out, my friends and I would play Yu-Gi-Oh with the cards and on the playground. I was always the Dark Magician Girl, because she was so tough, cute, and never backed down (lol cheesy I know, but I love that in a female character!!). It took SO long to make and had so many tiny details!! I loved it to much and when we finally took photos in the costume, I was actually kind of relieved! That was my very first "complex" costume, and it provoked a lot of love-hate feelings within me. xD

And as for the future costumes? That will ALWAYS be a secret! :D

Name your top three anime series of all time.

Omigosh, EASY:

Gurren Lagann

Basilisk

Dragonball Z/Pokemon

Watching any currently?

Code Geass! A friend put me onto it ... and it ... is ... PHENOMENAL!

What is your favorite Xbox 360 game?

Easily the Gears of War series. Can NOT wait for 3. Watching the Ashes to Ashes trailer gives me goose bumps.

Ever played Lost Odyssey?

I haven't! But I hear the battle system is a lot like Final Fantasy!

Nerdy stuff aside, tell me a little about yourself. What other kinds of things do you do for fun?

I love to be active! I love anything from boating to marathon running! I am currently training for another half marathon and contemplating a cycling race of about 60 miles (it's a good balance considering how much time I spend on the computer/box). I ADORE hanging out with my friends, going out on the town and having a great time! I do not drink so it gives me LOTS of money to spend on all my nerdy stuff in my down time! I am also studying a little bit of Japanese and hopefully will spend a year there after I get my degree! Oh! I also love to travel! I lived in New Zealand for 9 years and traveled around to Australia, England, France and Mexico! I really enjoy going to movies! When Lord of the Rings: Return of the King came out, I saw it in the theater 12 times! I also like to draw, make jewelery, bake, shop, work, eat and SLEEP!

The San Diego Comic-Con is just around the corner, any plans to attend this year? (If so, 

who will you be going as?)

I bought my tickets for Comic-Con 2010 in November 2009! And again, my costume is a secret, you will have to come look for me!

Your website says it's currently down for maintenance, will this be back online soon?

We are still working on that, BUT you can come hang out at the Facebook fanpage for more updates! :]

Finally, your fans wanna know, are you single?

Ha ha, oh you! Asking the juicy stuff. :]