Ask a Cosplayer with Super Batboy Cosplay
The biggest comic convention, San Diego Comic-Con, is only a few days away so naturally, cosplay has been on our minds. We wanted to do a special feature and find out what it really takes to get into cosplay and give some of you some tips if you’re new to the whole thing. Luckily, we were able to get some help from a local cosplayer who shared with us some of his knowledge and experience!
Q: Let’s start by having you introduce yourself.
A: First off, my name is Marvin and I am a cosplayer based in Southern California. I have been cosplaying since 2010.
Q: What got you interested in cosplay?
A: What interested me about the whole concept of cosplaying was back when the channel, G4, would do their yearly coverage of San Diego Comic-Con. Seeing so many fellow nerds having a great time every year sparked my nerdiness to a whole other level.
Q: How did you get started?
A: What got me into cosplaying was, in fact, watching the movie “Predators” in 2010. Afterwards, I went online to see Predator cosplays. I did more digging around the internet and became a member of The Hunter’s Lair (now renamed Predatorium), which is a forum for fans of the Predator franchise.
Q: How do you decide what character to cosplay as?
A: I mainly decide on who to cosplay as based on my knowledge on characters. For example, the Mighty Morphin Green Ranger. I have honestly watched the “Green with Evil” saga probably over a thousand times by now.
Q: What are your tips for getting started?
A: A major tip on getting started is to find a character that you are passionate about. What do I mean exactly? Basically know a character that you like, NOT solely based on how popular he/she/it may be, but how much you know about the character. Fans of whichever character can practically smell the fact of whether someone who is cosplaying as that specific character is a true fan or not.
Secondly, cosplaying can be EXPENSIVE and daunting to a first timer. Research online and find out what materials you can use. Believe it or not, some really well done Iron Man armor can be made out of cardboard or EVA foam (yoga mats).
Q: What tips do you have for people who aren’t good at DIY or sewing?
A: Cosplaying incorporates two ways to make them: sewing and armor making. However, most of the time, cosplayers need BOTH skills to use. A great tip to those who can’t sew can order the clothes aspect of their cosplay online or request prop makers to commission it for them. There are plenty of cosplayers who take commission work.
Q: What advice would you give to someone who is interested in cosplaying, but shy or intimidated?
A: My answer to that is to go into cosplaying with the mindset of not caring what people think. It is your cosplay and you and only you are the one who says that it is good or not. Basically, do what you want.
We’d like to give a big thanks to Super Batboy Cosplay for letting us into his world! We hope that you’ve found this interview entertaining and informative. If you have questions that you’d like to ask Marvin yourself, you can follow him on Facebook!
Are you a cosplayer with some great advice that you’d like to share? Contact us to be featured on our blog!
