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Post by Doctor Who Cosplay on Sept 11, 2013 23:12:41 GMT
What made you want to start cosplaying?
How did you get into it?
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Post by tgifriday on Sept 11, 2013 23:57:40 GMT
i started doing a jack cosplay for a torchwood event then just did others after that
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Post by raggedynat on Sept 12, 2013 5:05:21 GMT
I had my first ever convention in June, and my friends and I decided that our first convention should be done in costume. I wanted to do fem-10 but struggled to find a suit skirt in tens pinstripes, so I adapted it, and made it a raggedy doctor. I didn't get many compliments that day, but the ones I did get were just magical. I had compliments from the Doctor Who Club of Australia. I had someone literally act like a screaming fan girl about my costume, and I had someone REQUEST to shake MY hand, because he was in awe of my costume, and the fact that I had made my apple out of clay and hand painted it, and that I had made my own tie (because I couldn't afford the replica from Magnoli!). Not that anyone noticed, but I tried to make my shirt rips and dirty/burnt patches screen accurate! After that weekend, I just really decided that I need to cosplay every con! It just makes it a much more enjoyable weekend! I'm still trying to find a character that's really me. A character that's more than just a costume, but a real cosPLAY... Hopefully that'll come soon
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Post by Clara Oswald on Sept 12, 2013 11:37:05 GMT
Oh gee, you had to ask that question...wow. I began cosplaying when I was about 13 when Star Wars Episode I came out. I made my own Padme costume and went to a screening of the movie, then took the costume to camp that summer for a cabin costume contest (which we won) and had all my cabin mates in awe that I would take the time to make her costume. After that I was hooked! I made nearly every Hallowe'en costume I wore, and each year they just got better and better as I gained more skill with my hands. I took my cosplaying to a whole new level a few years ago though when Legend of the Seeker arrived on TV. This made the Mother Confessor's dress my next goal. I did TONS of research on it, trying to make it as screen accurate as possible. I wore it that fall to a Renaissance Faire and there met Tracy Black of Legend Costumes (who by the way is AMAZING!!!) She was also wearing a Mother Confessor dress and really impressed with my hand sewn dress and inspired me to keep it up. After that I made and sold one other Kahlan dress from Seeker, then set to work on other ventures. I wore the dress again to DragonCon 2011, which was my first convention and I was floored by the response I got!
Ever since, I have striven to make my costumes better than ever, and in many ways, whatever character I am currently cosplaying for months at a time becomes a part of me during my every day life. As a Clara cosplayer, I cut my long hair to match hers, and started dressing similarly to her at work (though my hemlines are longer due to work place policy). I wear my make up like her, and (when no ones around) work on my mannerisms to match hers. This way when I go to a con, I become her far more easily. It's a lot of fun, and as a teacher, my students love seeing me come in dressed like Clara once in a while.
Cosplaying is a way to express myself and my fandom. It is a way to become a person who you look up to or are inspired by, and it is a way to escape the craziness of every day life and have fun with other people who understand your passions.
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Post by Torchwood TeaBoy on Sept 12, 2013 16:11:46 GMT
Short answer: I like the challenge of researching, sourcing, building, and displaying costumes & props of my favorite characters or characters I feel a kinship to, from various shows, movies, genres, etc. And finding others that do the same and sharing our awesomeness and nerdiness.
Long answer: I've liked cosplay since high school, but didn't know it existed on a large scale/community outside of Halloween and dressing up for movie premieres, until college. By then I was heavily involved in historical re-enactments, and between school and reenactments, I never had the time/money to do it. As my interest in the re-enactments has waned (for a variety of reasons), my interest in cosplay has resurfaced with a venegance as I've needed an outlet for my inner Theatrekid's costuming and crafty drive/skills. I have been able to justify getting into cosplay under the guise of having to rebuild my design and costuming portfolio to apply for grad school this coming spring. Secretly, I have found the cosplay community to be amazing and welcoming and full of very talented, great people, that I want to get to know and hang out with and geek out with. It is nice to meet other people that are potentially as obsessed about a fandom as you are, and then stand proud as you show it off.
I started cosplaying this year with my best friend and I decided Jack would be a good 'quick & dirty' (Jack would approve) cosplay while I worked on larger/more difficult projects. While true, most of my original Jack was sourced from resale stores, I've been slowly working to bring him closer to screen accurate. That's my goal with all of my cosplay projects, to be as screen accurate as possible. Or in the case of original designs, evoke the character through the design as much as possible.
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Post by benaequee on Sept 13, 2013 2:41:25 GMT
I love to create and build and pick apart and find details. I've been in dressing up since I could remember, started playing around on a sewing machine when I was 8 and taught myself the rest as I went. I love to challenge my seamstress skills and try new techniques or genres. I started out as a Star Wars costumer 11 years ago as a member of the Rebel Legion and 501st. I have a closet full of Padme and Leia costumes for various charity and promotional events. The charity events are my favorite. Seeing little kids come running up to you and ask for a hug or autograph and photo almost makes me cry each time. I remember being that little kid in the hospital or at a comic show and seeing my favorite characters in real life. They remind me of me as a child I'm a hoop dancer as well and have often been asked to perform as Leia (DK Publishing can't get enough of Hooping Princess Leia lol). So I get to make fun costumes for that as well. If you've never tried hula hooping (with a properly sized adult hoop) do it soon! It's an awesome workout and so much fun, especially when you throw in cool tricks, LED's, and fire... yep, I have a fire hoop too! I even incorporated my fancy LED hoop into a masquerade skit this year with my ATCM Amy costume (I programmed the hoop to cycle in a blue pattern to mimic a spinning TARDIS in space). I branched out a few years ago into historical costuming, which led to other things down the road. My last costume was made a few weeks ago for Dragon*Con (Sansa) because I was bored. Some people grind at games all day (my hubby), I craft and sew It keeps me busy, and I get something in return.
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Post by Torchwood TeaBoy on Sept 13, 2013 13:20:45 GMT
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Post by Clara Oswald on Sept 13, 2013 13:31:20 GMT
Great article. I totally get where she is coming from. I was even embarrassed at first to tell my now husband about what I do before we got married, only to find out that he not only supported me, but wanted to join in the fun and have me make him costumes! My parents it took longer with, but after college when I made my Confessor dress, they really began to appreciate the art and time behind cosplay, now see that my nerdiness isn't a bad thing, it's just part of who I am.
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Post by curlykirsty on Sept 13, 2013 20:01:42 GMT
Kind of got into cosplay by mistake, we went to Forbidden Planet Doctor Who day two years ago. We printed off a cover for River's diary and dressed my eleven year old daughter as Cleopatra with clothes sourced from our own wardrobes. I had been going to conventions in the UK for a long time but I cosplay rare characters, so far I tried Liz 10, Captain Price and Florence the Plasmavore and my daughter was Cleopatra River and Pirate Pond. We have worked really hard over the past year and improved to make Rose, Clara and River cosplays that are more SA. I have a big project for the official Doctor Who convention that I'm quite excited about. I love the friends I have made, being able to persuade them to do silly things for me to film. LOL Just a very social group and very helpful with advice and moral support.
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Post by Matt Holden on Sept 13, 2013 20:21:07 GMT
Thanks to 'the girl in the pub' I started cosplaying before I knew what cosplaying was... Fist time I 'officially' cosplayed was day 2 of Collectormania London back in 2009. On the first day I'd seen loads of awesome costumes and been blown away, so that night I 'nipped home' (is a 4hr round trip classed as nipping?) and grabbed my suit and coat, the reaction was amazing, I've never looked back since. I cosplay for one reason only, because I enjoy it. I have a promise with myself that the day I stop enjoying it is the day I stop (that day has come close a coupke of times so far). What I find myself doing now is going to larger events to meet up with friends and generally chat to people or doing smaller charity events to raise money for good causes. It's also nice to share my experiences with others. This is a truly unique hobby that has given me some great memories
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Post by thefourtheleven on Sept 14, 2013 19:22:32 GMT
I guess the reason I cosplay is mainly for fun and escapism. I got into it gradually through casually dressing in Who-esque outfits (Mainly Ten and Four) at Collectormania in Milton Keynes. And then I started pulling together bits and pieces of my wardrobe to create my first Four cosplay. When Eleven came along, his outfit was pretty much the one that I found easiest to emulate - and I guess that's how my hobby started, and the collection of screen-accurate style items. I've only seriously started cosplaying at other events this year, but I guess now I've started to really get into it!
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Post by fallynangel on Sept 15, 2013 15:49:04 GMT
I always liked dressing up as a kid, so it simply added when I became an adult. It is just fun! I love making costumes, figuring out how to piece it together, and for a few moments really revel in something I love. That and you do meet some amazing people along the way
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Post by frankiewilliams on Sept 15, 2013 16:43:09 GMT
Reason I started cosplaying as I always loved dressing up when little and also love drama and acting. Its great fun.
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Post by jadeifer on Sept 15, 2013 17:14:51 GMT
i saw other people cosplaying and i thought 'thats awesome i want to do that' ... And now i don't think i would be able to go to a convention not cosplaying I find i am more confident when in cosplay
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Post by frankiewilliams on Sept 15, 2013 20:50:43 GMT
I find i am more confident when in cosplay Me as well.
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