Tell me about the outfit you are wearing – who are you cosplaying and how did you decide to pick this particular character ?
The outfit I’m wearing is a type of cosplay is known as Kigurumi. An Animegao, more specifically. It’s a full-body cosplay consisting of a lycra bodysuit, a plastic / fiberglass mask, and typically an outfit that is specific to the character. I enjoy more obscure characters, and also ones that match my proportions that I can portray somewhat accurately. This particular character, Bridget, is from the old western cartoon, An American Tail. I was always fond of her, as she was such a strong supporting character. The outfit I’m pictured in, though, is not typical of her. This particular one is much lighter, easier to maneuver in, and more fun to look at.
Tell me about the process of making your outfit – was it easier or tougher than you imagine it to be ?
These costumes are pretty long and involved to make. First, they start off with a clay-based sculpt. From there, a negative mold is made, then the fiberglass cast. The positive mold is sanded by hand about 20 times till it’s ultra smooth and then given a base coat, followed by airbrushed details. The bodysuit is just a zentai. In typical animegao kigurumi, they’re flesh toned to match the character. With the furry-type kigurumi, their bodies are designed around the character’s traits.
Any interesting stories from people’s reaction to your outfit at the con ? ^^
At one particular con, I crossed the street to get to some friends, and nearly crashed a dozen cyclists when the person in the lead swerved over to shout how much she loved my costume.
How did you get started cosplaying and what got you interested ?
I’ve always been into dressing up as stuff. My sister dabbled in photography, so it wasn’t uncommon for us to be in crazy outfits, doing weird compositions for the camera, so it was always kind of there. The real catalyst was back in ‘01. I was going through a number of Japanese cosplay photos and came across a number of them that featured characters in full body costumes. I was absolutely blown away at how amazing they looked. The combination of the characters in real-world surroundings were just absolutely surreal to look at, and I was instantly hooked. I found out everything I could about these “kigurumi” costumes and ultimately got into contact with one of the over-seas studios. They spoke only a little English, but were happy to do a commission from me. A number of months later, I was holding my very own.
What are the con did you first attended and what’s your favorite con that you’ve attended so far and why ?
A-Kon was my very first con. I was only a sheepish attendee, going to panels and peeking in on events. My favorite con most certainly has to be Further Confusion, out in California. I just seem to have the most fun at that one. The con is just the right size, and there’s a lot to do with everyone. Furry cons are especially friendly towards people in their full-body costumes, are there are a few “headless lounges” that you can duck into to cool off or do emergency repairs to your outfit.
What does cosplay mean to you ?
Cosplay is simply just a fun hobby that I love dearly. and is one that presents certain performance challenges for me. Being able to conveying emotion and speaking through movement and body-language alone is a difficult skill that I admire, and one this cosplay allows me to engage in with frequency.
If you had unlimited funds/technology/time, what is your dream cosplay ?
I would definitely love to produce a kigurumi character that had fully animatronic facial features. The biggest complaint people have of these costumes is that the expression just never changes. People are especially creeped out by the unrelenting gaze of their soulless eyes. A mask that had an impossible level of facial control could get past that and allow for more interesting expressions an
