Like a larger than life superhero with America-themed attacks and a gigantic smile, I am here! Sharing cosplayers like the absolute fangirl that I am! We’re six days into our #28DaysOfBlackCosplay share-a-thon and I have two amazing cosplayers to share with everyone… before I disappear to watch the Saturday anime waiting in my queue.
Kid Corvid Cosplay
Photographer: angelicdazephotos
Kid Corvid Cosplay has been at it for 7 years. When they were 13, they tried being a witch for Halloween, but ended up setting their sights on Marceline the Vampire Queen because of their love for the character and their love for Adventure Time. From there came the passion for cosplay, which has consumed all of their free time… and money, lol! You can check out their story below.
How do you decide what you’re going to cosplay?
I usually choose a popular media source and then choose the character design(s) that appeal to me the most. I choose mostly based on which characters I like and which designs would be fun for me to build.
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What cosplay are you most proud of? And yes, it’s absolutely ok to say ALL.
Difficult question, but probably my in-progress Hypnos (from the game Hades) cosplay. It’s the most complex cosplay I’ve made so far and I’m proud of how much I’m learning about sewing.
What’s a cosplay moment that you remember fondly?
Going to cons and the random spontaneously funny/memorable moments that can happen at them. Once, I wore chicken knee-high socks with a friend when we were both in Hawks cosplay (from My Hero Academia), and we happened to run into another Hawks cosplayer wearing the same socks and had a hilarious impromptu photoshoot. My friend and the cosplayer we met have been dating since then.
Hey, it’s time to take a break from making that cosplay or buying it off your wishlist, what are you watching/playing/reading to unwind?
I like watching video essays on YouTube analyzing media, politics, and philosophy! It’s a fun way to learn new things and help me understand interesting, complex subjects that are difficult to grasp from academic texts.
If you could live in a fictional universe where would it be and why?
Hard question because most of the ones I love are very deadly. I’d probably want to live in Scott Westerfield’s Leviathan series, as the steampunk/biopunk worldbuilding in that series is fascinating and gorgeous.
Do you tend to cosplay the character/creature/entity as is or do you put your own spin on them? Any particular reason why? And yes, it’s perfectly ok to say “because I like to.”
Sometimes I put my own spin on cosplays, but for the most part, I use the canon character designs. It’s easier for me to interpret an existing design into reality than create one totally from scratch (if the design already exists), and I take pride in looking just like the character.
It’s cruel to ask what your favorite cosplay is so what are your top three (at most)? Are they the ones being featured or are they different ones?
My favorites are Dabi and Hawks (My Hero Academia), and Hypnos (even though Hypnos is incomplete at the moment).
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What do your 2021 cosplans look like? If you’re trying to keep it secret OR you have no plans, that’s fine!
I don’t have any because I don’t know if cons will exist in the US safely this year! I usually plan my cosplans around conventions.
In an alternate universe where money and resources are plentiful, all your bills are paid, and you’ve got nothing but time, what dream cosplays are you doing?
Elaborate armor/prop builds and remaking my Anakin Skywalker cosplay. I don’t have concrete plans other than making Anakin out of top quality materials, and I would probably do whatever designs happened to catch my eye.
In yet another alternate universe, conventions are safe to return to, so where are you headed?
Where I live in Atlanta, GA for AWA and Dragoncon, and also to Texas! I have friends in Texas who I’d love to visit.
What inspires you to stay active in the community, especially in these trying times? If you haven’t been active that’s fine, too!
It’s an escape and a way to decompress in stressful times.
What does #28DaysOfBlackCosplay mean to you?
It means that Black cosplayers finally get the spotlight we should be getting year-round and that everyone inside and outside the cosplay community can see that Black people can be nerds, too, and can do it well.
It’s March 1st, 2021, what would you like to see happen after the 28 days are over?
I’d like for people to continue their verbal support of Black people into tangible support via donating to Black people and causes that need it, and by engaging in useful activism to challenge and change racism within the cosplay community and elsewhere.
Any tips for newcomers who are waffling on whether or not they should cosplay?
Just do it! You can cosplay with the clothes already in your closet or at a thrift store, and it doesn’t matter what you look like. Cosplay is for everyone, and anyone who says otherwise doesn’t belong in this community.
What are you looking forward to in 2021? It doesn’t have to be cosplay related, it can be anything.
I’m looking forward to hopefully being able to be around my friends and casually hang out and go out places safely.
Social media time! Tell us where we can find you! Give me as many links as you want. Twitter? TikTok? Patreon? I want it all!
All of my links are right here!
@sheisloveitself
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For 4 years, @sheisloveitself has been cosplaying, having been introduced to it when a friend invited her to Katsucon. You can check out her story below.
How do you decide what you’re going to cosplay?
I like to choose characters that really mean something to me. Afterward, I try to see how I can uniquely make them my own. I don’t wear wigs for the most part since my locs are so long, so I incorporate my hair/hairstyle in my cosplays. My hashtag is #thedreadedcosplayer.
I do what I can, but I really admire cosplays where people add their own mark to the character. I appreciate cosplayers like @Shellanin, @AliciaMarieBody, and @thouartanuli for stepping outside of the box.
What cosplay are you most proud of? And yes, it’s absolutely ok to say ALL.
I am really proud of my Calcifer cosplay and my Cersei Lannister cosplay. Unfortunately, I do not know how to sew so I end up buying my cosplays. I’m really meticulous about it though. I want the cosplays I wear to remind people of who I’m cosplaying while being entirely different from the costumes we see on the market.
My Cersei Lannister cosplay was one of my best finds. I love how strong Cersei was in Game of Thrones until the very end. It was an honor to cosplay her.
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What’s a cosplay moment that you remember fondly?
My Calcifer cosplay means so much to me because Howl’s Moving Castle is my favorite Studio Ghibli film. I went to San Diego Comic-Con for the first time wearing that cosplay and got featured on BET’s Instagram page that same day. I truly love it so much.
Hey, it’s time to take a break from making that cosplay or buying it off your wishlist, what are you watching/playing/reading to unwind?
I am currently watching Bridgeton because Rege-Jean Page is fine with a capital f.
I am playing One Piece Pirate Warriors 4 on my Nintendo Switch. Hail the world-building Oda! It’s fun to actually play in a world that I am so fond of.
I am listening to Jazmine Sullivan, Kirby, Yoh Kamiyama, Utada, Taemin, and Lianne La Havas on repeat.
I am rereading the Adorned By Chi comic by Jacque Aye + Magus Ato, Red River by Chie Shinohara, After The Rain by Alex Elle, and Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire. I know it’s a lot, but I’m a bookworm.
Speaking of unwinding, who are your comfort characters? Who are you going to when you need a pick me up?
My comfort characters are Jane Eyre from Jane Eyre, Usagi Tsukino from Sailor Moon, Yukino Miyazawa from Kare Kano, Portgas D. Ace from One Piece, and Yusuke Urameshi from Yu Yu Hakusho.
If you could live in a fictional universe where would it be and why?
I would want to live in the Fruits Basket universe solely for the purpose of fighting Akito. I read the whole series and I still stand by my earlier reasoning.
Do you tend to cosplay the character/creature/entity as is or do you put your own spin on them? Any particular reason why? And yes, it’s perfectly ok to say “because I like to.”
I put my own spin on them because I like to still be seen as me while I’m cosplaying. I cosplay for me and I want to look like me. People can hate that or make fun of the fact that I’m “not canon” but I honestly don’t give a crap.
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It’s cruel to ask what your favorite cosplay is so what are your top three (at most)? Are they the ones being featured or are they different ones?
My top three/favorites are the ones that are being featured.
What do your 2021 cosplans look like? If you’re trying to keep it secret OR you have no plans, that’s fine!
I have been a bit on a hiatus. So, I’m not sure what my next cosplay will be. But I do have some new ones — I haven’t had the time/energy to do them yet.
In an alternate universe where money and resources are plentiful, all your bills are paid, and you’ve got nothing but time, what dream cosplays are you doing?
I would want to do Marie Antoinette, Anthy Himemiya in armor, and Ursula.
In yet another alternate universe, conventions are safe to return to, so where are you headed?
Ace Comic Con and Anime Expo.
What inspires you to stay active in the community, especially in these trying times? If you haven’t been active that’s fine, too!
I haven’t been active for a while. 2020 was a hard year for me, and while I accomplished a lot in my professional life I didn’t feel comfortable posting anything that didn’t reflect my innermost feelings. People told me in the past that my page was very positive and light, and I want to keep it that way.
What does #28DaysOfBlackCosplay mean to you?
Chaka Cumberbatch-Tinsley created a movement that inspired so many Black cosplayers to come out of their shell and show what they love best. I’m thankful for her creating the hashtag and seeing Black cosplayers gain recognition.
It’s March 1st, 2021, what would you like to see happen after the 28 days are over?
I’d just like to see how Black cosplayers can subsequently take over the next hashtags or movements that happen next. March is Women’s History Month, so I want to see Black female cosplayers showing off. June is Pride Month, so I want to see Black cosplayers from the LGBTQ+ community getting shine. We can make 365 Days of Cosplay real by including ourselves in all the hashtags that follow next and highlighting the respective people that other tags include.
How can the community (people, events, etc.) do better to represent you and other Black cosplayers?
Be kind to us, less cliquey, and stop using us for virtual signaling purposes.
Any tips for newcomers who are waffling on whether or not they should cosplay?
Start off small. They don’t need to purchase a $1500 cosplay off the bat. They can do casual cosplays and then see how they can cosplay to fit their means.
What are you looking forward to in 2021? It doesn’t have to be cosplay related, it can be anything.
I’m looking forward to having a female vice-president in office.
Social media time! Tell us where we can find you! Give me as many links as you want. Twitter? TikTok? Patreon? I want it all!
I am on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok!
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The weekend’s just getting started, come back tomorrow for another feature!
(Image: Kid Corvid Cosplay and @sheisloveitself)
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Published: Feb 6, 2021 10:00 am