Every month we pick two cosplayers and feature them on Geeks With Wives as our Cosplayers of the Month! Check back every second and fourth Monday to see who we are featuring that week!
This week, Victoria interviewed St3phBot…
Kitty Pryde (All-New X-Men)
What is your cosplay identity name and how did you choose it?
My cosplay identity is StephBot (or St3phBot on some social networking sites). I chose it because my friend came up with that nickname for me at work one day. I think it was because I’m super into Futurama. Although when I was thinking of cosplay identities, the names were always too long. I finally thought of my nickname at my old job. I loved being called “StephBot” since it has a part of my name in it, it’s short, and not too common.
Well, I was kind of a dweeb when I was in junior high. I bought a Konoha Village headband, would wear a Bleach necklace, and always liked to style my hair as my favorite anime characters. When I was in high school a friend introduced me to my first anime convention and told me that people dress up as anime/video game characters. My first cosplay was Kairi from Kingdom Hearts 2. It was such an amazing feeling to have people come up, recognize me, and want to take my picture. I think that kind of adoration of someone recognizing who you’re dressed up as and sharing that same fandom made me really appreciate cosplaying. It is a big part of why I love it and continue it. I definitely keep doing it because a bunch of my friends are within the cosplay community and I love to make group cosplays. Even just trying to look like my favorite characters within comic books, anime, and videogames, and getting as close to being them as I possibly can is a great feeling.
Well I think the cosplays that take me longer to make I favor a little more than others. It took me weeks to make my Bombshell Harley Quinn, and I loved that I got every detail of that figure down. Although I love the costumes I put a lot of work in, I have to say that my favorite cosplays are the ones that are more recognizable to little kids. I feel like I get even more excited than the kids who comes up to me and asks me for a picture with them in my Black Widow, or Dawn from Pokemon (which I got a bunch of little kids wanting to just pet my Piplup in – it was adorable).
If you had to choose a single favorite moment you’ve had while cosplaying, what would it be?
Wow. Umm… Well, my favorite moments are definitely when I see my friends I haven’t seen for months and we derp around. Also, getting to hang out with my favorite photographers. I’m not sure I have a single favorite moment of that. Although, one of my top favorite moments I’ve ever had while cosplaying, was when I was dressed up as Miss Martian at Denver Comic Con waiting in line to see Billy West. While he was talking to another fan he leans over and looks at me in line and says, “You’re green as a pickle!” It might seem like not that big of a deal, but I’ve been a fan of Billy West for years and will never forget that.
Is your cosplay more career based, recreational based, or both?
I cosplay just for fun! A career would be nice and everything, but I have college and other things in life that would get in the way of that. I enjoy cosplay a lot more doing it just for fun and not trying to hold up to anyone’s standards but my own.
Videl (Dragonball Z)
Do you have a specific theme you choose your cosplays from?
A theme? Not really, or at least that I can think of… I guess I am a bigger DC fan than Marvel fan, except for Spider-Man and X-Men. I like to cosplay a lot of things I enjoy more and probably not what others really recognize (like my Ten from Batman Beyond). If I cosplay from an anime, I love cosplaying DBZ or any Shonen Jump-related anime a lot more than others. Although, it’s not really a theme to me, it’s just more of me liking that character more than most.
If there is any advice you wish you could have given your past self that you’ve learned now from experience, what would it be?
No matter how good you are at hand sewing, a sewing machine is WAY faster. Haha. Otherwise, I don’t really know what to say. Maybe not to be afraid of learning something new when it comes to cosplay and that the internet is a great source of learning.
What conventions have you been to and what conventions do you see yourself attending this year?
I’ve been to Comiket 84 in Tokyo, Denver Comic Con, Nan Desu Kan, Animeland Wasabi, Starfest, and Rocky Mountain Con. I will be at all of those same conventions this year, but I’m going to try and make it out to the east coast for Philadelphia Comic Con, too.
How many cosplays do you have in the works and how many do you think you can complete this year?
I have just 1 in the works right now due to school. Although I plan on completing at least 8-10 more cosplays this year.
If you have one, what would be your ultimate goal with your cosplays? Is there a dream one that you’re working up towards or is there a place you’d like your cosplay to take you?
I don’t really know if I have an ultimate goal with my cosplays. I just like meeting new people and appreciation for my work. I guess an ultimate goal would be to be more well-known. A dream of mine would be able to finally get to go to San Diego Comic Con! Although aside from that, I don’t really know if I have an “ultimate goal” with my cosplays. I’m not sure how far they’ll take me, but if they do/don’t take me somewhere, I’ll be really happy nonetheless.
If you would like to check out more of St3phBot’s work, feel free to check out her facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/St3phBot
If you would like to be featured in future “Cosplayers of the Month” or know someone who should be, feel free to email Victoria at Victoria@GeeksWithWives.com!