Q&A Interview with Karrigan Taylor

Where are you from?

I am from Massachusetts!

How long have you been cosplaying? 

I have been cosplaying for about three years.

What first got you interested in cosplay? 

I was huge on playing dress up when I was young and for one of my birthdays I received an entire wardrobe filled with Disney costumes. I remember when I was young I wanted to be a vampire, devil and princess on Halloween. My parents told me I couldn’t be them all, so I came up with an original character that was all three of those things in one. It was a huge hit.

What do you think is the most difficult thing about cosplaying? What is the thing that you enjoy the most about it?

I would say the most difficult thing about cosplaying is finding time to take photos, make sure the costume looks perfect in the photos, etc. I often take around 2-5 hours just self-shooting cosplays and editing them myself.

Do you watch anime?

Yes! I do.

What are some of your favorites?

I like dumb animes. My favorite type of anime is what I call "titty anime" so basically really simple plot with a lot of cute anime girls. Right now I would say my favorite anime is Future Diary because I love Yuno.

What are some of your favorite video games?

I love Overwatch, Final Fantasy XIV, The Witcher series, and Lolipop Chainsaw, just to name a few of my favorites of all time.

Playing anything currently?

I haven't been gaming a lot recently, as I haven't had much time and I haven't found a game I've been interested in.

Favorite television show?

I don't really watch conventional TV, but I like Black Mirror and America's Next Top Model.

Favorite movie?

My favorite movie of 2019 was Aladdin. I have a lot of all time favorites though! I am a huge movie buff.

I was worried about seeing live action Aladdin. Since you liked it, do you think they should continue doing more live action remakes of Disney classics?

I love Disney. Writing for Disney is my dream job, so some part of me wants them to come up with new unique story ideas so that I can help them develop and write them in the future.

Favorite band?

My favorite band is Starset and Slipknot!

Is there a cosplayer that inspires you?

Alyson Tabbitha is a cosplayer that I admire! However, I admire all of my cosplay friends!

Plans for your next cosplay?

I have a bunch of plans in the works, but I really want to cosplay my Final Fantasy character.

Tell me something about yourself nobody knows. 

I am pretty open, so people know mostly everything about me. I would say something most people don't know is that I love to dance and have performed over 100 times.

Where can fans find more of you?

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karrigan.taylor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/karrigantaylor

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/karrigantaylor

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thekarrigantaylor

Q&A Interview with Luxlo Cosplay

Where are you from? 

I'm currently living in Canada's Toronto area.

How long have you been cosplaying?

I first cosplayed in 2012 at Anime North!

Photo by Con Mom Photography

How did you become interested in cosplay?

I was attending my first con with my boyfriend and a couple of friends and they vaguely described how people dress up as characters they like to these things and I immediately thought that sounded super fun so I scavenged my closet for items that I could make work and references of Marceline from Adventure Time. When I actually got to the con and saw tons of cosplayers proudly walking around in amazing costumes and displaying their love for their favorite characters and series, I was instantly inspired to cosplay more.

Do you watch anime? 

I watch some. I'm a bit picky when it comes to anime and I don't spend much time doing it since most of my free time goes toward video games, but a few favorites of mine are Gankutsuo, Death Note, Parasyte, Ajin, Fate Zero, Death Parade, and the Ghibli movies.

What are some of your favorite video games? 

A classic favorite of mine is Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, along with Mario World, Mario Kart and Donkey Kong. My current favorites are Sekiro, Dark Souls 3, Monster Hunter, Fire Emblem Echoes, Persona 3 and Persona 5. After just finishing Sekiro, I'm currently (and slowly) playing Hollowknight, Celeste and Spiderman, and also super excited to begin Fire Emblem: Three Houses when it arrives in a few days.

Photo by Dream Land Photography

Favorite television show?

Brooklyn 99, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Summer Heights High. I also really enjoyed the three seasons of Stranger Things! I'm currently watching (and loving) the original Teen Titans since I never did watch it as a kid.

How about favorite movies? 

Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, The Hunt, Hercules and The Lion King... and probably many more I'm forgetting.

Favorite band?

Silverstein! I also love Blink 182, Angels & Airwaves, Bayside, and ABBA.

Is there a cosplayer that inspires you? 

Tons! I love having my social media feeds filled with cosplayers and artists who inspire me. Kamui Cosplay has to stick out, as her tutorials really helped me out when I started cosplaying.

Plans for your next cosplay? 

Ohh I have a bunch, haha! I'll be doing three different versions of Starfire, a casual Raven, Camie from MHA, Officer Jenny, Edelgard from FE3H, A Star Wars OC (actually just finished but I have yet to wear it), Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Effie from Fire Emblem (which I've been working slowly on for many months now) and a big surprise project for Katsucon 2019. These costumes are a mix of store-bought costumes, alterations by me, thrifted pieces, and pieces or in some cases whole costumes made by me.) PHEW. Some may have even been left out there but those are currently lined up!!

What is your favorite part of cosplaying? What about least favorite part?

My favorite part is wearing a finished cosplay for the first time! (Especially if it's one that took months to make!) I also love being in group cosplays with friends because it's always so much fun. My least favorite part is probably the times when I first start a new cosplay and feel stuck or don't know where to begin, and patterning can be confusing and frustrating for me.

Photo by Cyber Head Designs

What advice do you have for someone who is just starting out and maybe hasn't even cosplayed at all yet?

Know that there is no wrong way to cosplay! Made, store-bought, commissioned, thrifted, cardboard, bikini, sexy, genderbend, redesign, or original design... just have fun with it!

What do you do with costumes after you are done with them? Do you save them somewhere? 

I either sell them, store them, or trash them. If I run out of space and especially if the costume itself is not holding up anyway, I sadly have to throw them out. It's always really hard to part with them but I try to do multiple photoshoots in all my cosplays, and then I can at least treasure the photos forever!


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

I don't have a ton of other hobbies. I recently formed a DnD group with some friends which is a lot of fun, and I do love playing board games when I get the chance to. I also enjoy watching movies and shows, and I'm currently listening to the podcast Critical Role.

Tell me something about yourself nobody knows. 

I think Cosplayers (and other online figures or content creators) are often just seen as "online people/personalities/photos" and not as real people.. But as definitely real people, we all sometimes struggle with personal things going on in our lives or mental health issues, etc. This usually isn't something you can see just from browsing someone's Instagram where they choose to show just parts they want to share. There is always more to people than the small window we see into them online, so please be kind.

Where can fans find more of you?

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/luxlocosplay/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/luxlocosplay
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luxlocosplay/
Patreon: http://patreon.com/luxlocosplay

Q&A Interview with Ellemonade

Where are you from?

I am based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Somewhere in Southeast Asia.

How long have you been cosplaying?

I've actually been cosplaying for only a little over a year. I started cosplay in January 2018 but have been picking up more and more cosplays in 2019.

What first got you interested in cosplay?

I was actually interested in cosplay all the way back in 2009 when I first started following anime. Back then I was young kid who didn't have much freedom when it comes to going into events nor do I have many friends of similar interests. I never really got to go to any anime/cosplay conventions up until 2017 when I had started coming back into gaming. Eventually, I met more and more people within the community who were really supportive and encouraging when it comes to cosplay. Thus, my debut in 2018. Although it was not the best work, I had a great time and continued on from there.

What are some of your favorite anime? 

I used to watch A LOT of anime back in 2009 but over time I've diverted from the genre. However, several shows will always remain in my heart. Shows such as Cardcaptor Sakura, Law of Ueki, Chobits, etc. Those play a big role within my childhood years. As for now? I do take the time to watch a few anime now and then especially if I have any plans to cosplay that character.

What are some of your favorite video games?

Oh wow, a lot. I frequently play League of Legends, Monster Hunter World, Apex Legends and sometimes Overwatch. However, a few notable games that I really enjoyed were Harvest Moon: Back to Nature, Persona 5, Crash Bandicoot, O2Jam and so much more - I can't pick!

Favorite television show?

I don't watch many shows on TV to be honest.

Favorite movie?

I like a lot of movies but I can't pick one!

Favorite band?

Definitely Nothing but Thieves.

Is there a cosplayer that inspires you?

I don't actually have a fixed inspiration but I definitely do look up to a few people such as Kamui, Kinpatsu, and Stella Chu but I would also say a few of my inspirations are my friends themselves who constantly encourage me to go for cosses and help me out at times when I'm stuck

Plans for your next cosplay?

As for now I plan to cosplay Tifa from the Final Fantasy VII Remake, Wraith from Apex Legends, Irelia from League of Legends, and Moxxi from Borderlands 3! All video game characters, hahaha.

What would you say is your favorite part of cosplaying? What about least favorite part?

I would say my favorite parts about cosplaying is the whole experience and getting to put on the costume, together with the makeup and finally portraying the character! It's always the best part when you get to see all the individual components come together and most of the time I even surprise myself.

As for my least favorite part, it would probably be starting off because I always get too ambitious with the characters I want to cosplay and what I can actually achieve in the time span. Especially if the character I'm interested in has a lack of pictures online and I have to squint 1,000 times to decipher the elements of the cosplay.

You mentioned you are a League of Legends fan. Who are some of your favorite champions to play in LoL?

My favorite champions are probably Caitlyn, Jinx, Nami, and Irelia for her lore and the fact that I could relate to her Mulan feel.

What about most hated champ to play against?

Well it depends on the champion I'm playing at the time and who can counter them, but generally I would usually ban Blitzcrank or aggressive ADCs like Kai'sa, Lucian, or Ezreal if I'm playing bot lane. Besides that, I'm sure everyone can agree Teemo is a pain to deal with!

Do you have a favorite League of Legends pro team / pro player?

Not really to be honest, I was actually fortunate enough to attend last year's World's in Korea and got to witness IG vs Fnatic live and that on its own was a memory of a lifetime. However, even back then I couldn't pick a side!

Tell me about your time as part of the Riot Games Student Ambassador Program. 

At that time, I just only started playing League and knew little about the game itself. I had also just entered university for over a few months when I saw a post for a Riot Games Student Ambassador Program on League's client. I knew nothing much about it and didn't know what to expect but I figured that it would be fun to try. To be very honest, I expected that the program would have a few students representing one institution and I thought it would be cool to meet others from my institution. But what I didn't know when I got picked was that I would be the only representative of my institution. The role required you to host and promote gaming events, activities and support the gaming community within and outside of your institution. This program was the first of its kind in the world along with Germany.

At first, I was really out of my element. I barely knew anything about the game nor did I know anything about my institution. I recalled debating in my head that maybe I should just not do anything and focus on my studies but something in me decided to just give it a try. So there I was trying to form an Esports club in within my institution. From then on, I met people who were passionate about gaming and made valuable friendships with them. I actually felt that I had a place to belong and a family to keep providing to. So at the end of it all, it didn't even feel like a role I had to be responsible for but more of a service that I could always provide to the family I've found. The program not only pushed me outside of my shell within my institution but also allowed me to network with actual industry people and of course the other Riot Student Ambassadors from different institutions. I can't possibly describe the RSA program in a summary because this one year really gave me memories, confidence, and families that I can never find anywhere else. Unfortunately though, the program could not continue for a second year but at the end of it - I'm just really glad I decided to take that chance.

Tell me something about yourself nobody knows.

I actually grew up with a family who ballroom dances and I've been learning and competing in ballroom dancing. This also was the reason why I liked the aspect of cosplay from the start. It was because I saw cosplay as a similar form of entertainment and portraying. I also always did my own makeup since young (even though they were horrible) but that instilled the interest in me to dress up.

Where can fans find more of you?

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_adele.lim/