Thursday, December 29, 2016

Q&A Interview with Sa'irai Cosplay



This week’s MMOsite Cosplay Spotlight shines on Sa’irai Cosplay, a fairly new cosplayer from overseas that is also a League of Legends fan. I spoke with Sa’irai about how she got interested in cosplay and found out something many people don’t know about her.

So where are you from?

I am from the Netherlands.

How did you first get into cosplaying?

I haven't been cosplaying for that long! I started last December, actually. I got into it because I have been a gamer for about seven years now and many people online talked about cosplayers. I went to search for it and decided to go to a convention and try it out for myself!

Picture by Bfiles.nl
Who is your favorite League of Legends champion?

Miss Fortune, I think. After that is probably Katarina.

Which champions have you cosplayed thus far?

Only Red Card Katarina so far but many to come!


What other champs do you want to cosplay?

I'm planning on cosplaying Janna and Star Guardian Jinx very soon.

What's the number one champion that you HATE being matched up against in LoL?

Probably Sivir or LeBlanc because I always lose track of who the real one is and end up killing her replica.

Favorite video games other than LoL?

Aion, Blade and Soul, and Black Desert Online.

Ah so you're an MMORPG player then? What about World of Warcraft?

Yes I am. I have tried World of Warcraft but I didn't like it as much. Probably due the graphics but it has been a long time so that may have changed.

Picture by Bfiles.nl
What would you say has been the biggest challenge you've faced as you learn more about cosplaying?

Props are the biggest challenge to me right now. I'm always so afraid to start on them because I’m worried I’ll ruin it and lose money on materials.

What are some of your hobbies outside of gaming and cosplay?

I love drawing, reading, and swimming.

Tell me something about yourself not many people know but fellow nerds might find interesting.

I'm actually a sports person too! I don't only game, I love to go to the gym and run. It kind of balances out being extremely lazy and gaming so much.

Anything else you'd like to add?

If you want to get into cosplay, totally do it! Watch Youtube videos and go to a convention near you at least once. It is a lot of fun and a complete new experience. If you have any questions about it you can totally reach my Facebook page Sa'irai Cosplay and ask me anything!

I hope you all have a great day!

Monday, December 5, 2016

Q&A Interview with Malice Cosplay

Photo by Tetsuya Cosplay

This week’s MMOsite Cosplay Spotlight is Malice Cosplay, an amazing and versatile cosplayer I met on a League of Legends cosplay Facebook group. I sat down with Malice to talk about the game and the art of cosplaying in general.

Where are you from?

I'm from Québec, Canada.
Photo by David Ngo


How did you first get into cosplaying?


I used to wear a lot of random stuff as a kid and wear costumes. My friend brought me to a small cosplay con in 2013, and if I’m not wrong he told me to put my Halloween cosplay on and that was my Alice Madness dress. I had a lot of fun. After that I looked for tutorials to do my own stuff and ended up following a lot of cosplayers that still inspire me today.

Who is your favorite League of Legends champion? 

My favorite champ is Lulu! I love her she's so darn cute. I used to play her all the time. I also love to play Caitlyn and Jinx. My favorite champs for the design are Syndra and Shyvana. They are both my cosplay dream.


Which champions have you cosplayed thus far?

Bittersweet Lulu, Dynasty Ahri, and Snowstorm Sivir. I rushed Vel’Koz for a con right after his release. I also rushed Alistar to duo with a friend.

Any plans for future LoL cosplays?

I'm working on Syndra now, FINALLY! I tried years ago and wasn’t happy so I put it aside for awhile. I feel like I have more skills now and it’s time to use it. I really want to take my time and be happy with the result.

Favorite video games other than LoL?

I love solo games like the Tomb Raiders and DmC: Devil May Cry. I play a lot of games with my friends. Sometimes what’s important isn’t necessarily the game itself but who you play with!

Photo by Novii Photography, costume by Hi, Stranger Creations

What is the most challenging part of cosplay in your opinion?

To not give up. That’s probably the most challenging for me anyway, hahaha. With my busy life sometimes it’s hard to get some motivation to work on a costume especially when things fail. I always fail some part and have to re-do them because I’m not happy but that’s how we learn and get better.

What about the most fun part?

The final product. It’s so satisfying. When you go to a con and people recognize your costume and like it. You can tell yourself, ''Hey I made it. I finally made it and it was worth it!'' To be part of a group, be proud. We wear uncomfortable costumes, heavy wigs, contact lenses, and high heels. We suffer, we don’t sleep enough, don’t eat enough during a con, sometimes wondering why we are doing it and after all that we still can't wait for the next con.

What is the furthest you have traveled for a con?

I went to Katsucon. We went by car and it took us 15 hours to get there. By the end I didn’t even know how to sit anymore because nothing seemed comfortable. But the con was beautiful and it was such a good weekend!


Photo by CP Photographie, Setting by Lexa One Photographie,
Makeup by CandyKiller

How does cosplaying for a convention differ from cosplaying specifically for a photo shoot?

I think conventions are way more stressful and painful than a photo shoot. There's a ton of people everywhere. You forget to eat; people bump into you (sometimes your costume even suffers from it). You can be a statue for hours because everyone wants a picture with you. You're dead after a day.

For a photo shoot, you can take more time. You know the pictures will usually be better than the one a stranger will take of you eating your sandwich at the con (without asking permission of course it always happens!)  It's usually friendly and more relaxed. You can take a break if needed (something you can barely do during a con). You can use more accessories, huge props, which you don’t always want to carry around during the day.

I love both but they are completely different experiences.

Outside of video games and cosplaying what are some of your other hobbies?

I love to dance. I dance all the time even though I never took any dance classes or anything. I love a lot of different styles and I try to learn some dances I see on video clips and movies since I’m young.

Picture by Martin Labbe Photography, Setting by Lexa One Photographie,
Makeup by CandyKiller

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

I just want to tell people who want to cosplay or start cosplaying that they really should do it for themselves first. Even if you want a fan base or wish to eventually make a living out of that, people can feel it when you do a cosplay for yourself. It shows through on pictures. We are always more proud of stuff we do for ourselves than costumes we do to please others. Take your time; we are always learning and we are always improving!

Where can fans find more of you?


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaliceCosplay

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/malicecosplay/

Picture by Don Dolce Photography




Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Q&A Interview with Pam's Snow Stage



This week’s Cosplay Spotlight features Pam’s Snow Stage, an up and coming cosplayer whose popularity has been growing recently. Her page has recently eclipsed three thousand likes and four thousand is already within sight. I sat down with her to talk about cosplaying and video games.

Where are you from?

I am from Brazil.

How did you first get into cosplaying?

I started to cosplay in 2006. I was 16 years old, so young and full of dreams. For me be your favorite characters was so nice and has been an awesome experience from the first time.

What does “Pam's Snow Stage” mean? Can you explain the meaning behind the name?

Well, my page's name meaning is that I always wanted a good name for my page, nothing like just "my name plus cosplay," and I saw some other cosplayers that used a name that means a place like "wardrobe" or "land.”

But this was a difficult task, because it had to be an original name. So, “Snow Stage” because I always do blue characters or characters with some relationship to the ice and snow. Then “Stage” because a stage is a place where people show off their abilities like dancing, singing, or whatever. My page is the place where I showcase my works for the community and so “Stage” seemed like a good name.

Who is your favorite League of Legends champion?

Jinx. I love to play her and love her personality; she's so lively and cheerful! (and also pretty crazy hahaha).

Which champions have you cosplayed thus far?

So far I have only cosplayed as Teemo.

Any plans for future LoL cosplays?

I am planning to do Firecracker Jinx because it is my favorite skin of hers. But I also want to do Sweetheart Sona and someone from the Star Guardians.

Favorite video games other than LoL? 


I love Final Fantasy, Chrono Cross, and lots of games from Square Enix. I am huge fan of Legend of Zelda and recently I have been playing a lot of Overwatch.

What do you think about the upcoming Final Fantasy VII remake? Are you excited for it, or skeptical of it?

I am very excited about it! Final Fantasy is one of my favorite video game franchises and the VII was one of my favorites as a kid. I played all the spin offs that I could (like Crisis Core and Dirge of Cerberus) and to see this game getting remade like that is awesome and I am very happy to be alive to see that.

Who is one LoL character you think is under-represented in the cosplay community?

I actually think all characters are very well represented, League of Legends is very popular among cosplayers and even the craziest and difficult characters have been cosplayed.

Does it ever snow in Brazil?

Yes! I live in southern Brazil and sometimes it is very cold here. It snows quite often in some cities near where I live (like the city of Gramado). The snow though is different from other countries; it isn't soft and the flakes are very tiny, not a lot like in others countries.

Is there a big cosplay/convention scene down there? 

Yes, here in Brazil we have some of the best cosplayers in the world. World Cosplay Summit is very big here and we have some large contests that people from all states come to participate in. People here are very competitive and they cosplay with a lot of materials that we don’t normally use. It’s a very dedicated scene!

What are some of your hobbies outside of gaming and cosplay?

Well video games and cosplay take me a lot of time and dedication, so it is just those two hobbies that I have.

Anything else you'd like to add?

I would thank you for the opportunity.  If someone wants to know more about me or see my other cosplays, please visit my Facebook page.

Cosplay is a beautiful hobby and we always have a duty to make it stay safe. Be kind to everyone and encourage more people to enter into the cosplay world. That is how it will grow as a hobby and become even better.

And that's it. A big kiss for everybody!

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For more images visit her Facebook page.