#28DaysOfBlackCosplay at The Mary Sue, Day Ten
Meet Vera (Vera K) and Inky_hijinks
It’s the 10th day of #28DaysOfBlackCosplay features and we still have so many cosplayers to showcase and support! On this fine Wednesday afternoon, we got two talented Black cosplayers to introduce you to, so let’s get started!
Vera (Vera K)
Inspired by a combination of friends cosplaying and being a theatre major, Vera (Vera K) has been cosplaying for 3 years. You can check out Vera’s story below.
How do you decide what you’re going to cosplay?
I’m inspired by the characters I admire.
What cosplay are you most proud of? And yes, it’s absolutely ok to say ALL.
All of them.
What’s a cosplay moment that you remember fondly?
Malice (from Channel Awesome) because I got to wear blood all-day.
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’m either watching videos on Twitch or playing video games.
Speaking of unwinding, who are your comfort characters? Who are you going to when you need a pick me up?
The Grinch, Double D, Shego (Kim Possible), and Pikachu (Pokémon).
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?
Malice, Aunt Despair, and Hyperfangirl (all from Channel Awesome)
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 plans for 2021, I just got to find time to execute them.
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?
Shego (Kim Possible), Harley Quinn, Kidagakash “Kida” Nedakh (the Princess of Atlantis), Gamora (Guardians of the Galaxy), Storm (X-Men), and Him (Powerpuff Girls)C
In yet another alternate universe, conventions are safe to return to, so where are you headed?
WizardWorld, C2E2, and possibly Comic-Con,
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 that active but I’m getting back into it.
What does #28DaysOfBlackCosplay mean to you?
It shows the greatness of Black cosplay no matter the race of the character you are playing. We are doing what we love dearly.
It’s March 1st, 2021, what would you like to see happen after the 28 days are over?
More posts of people’s wonderful cosplay.
How can the community (people, events, etc.) do better to represent you and other Black cosplayers?
We should shout each other out once in a while to pump people up.
Any tips for newcomers who are waffling on whether or not they should cosplay?
It’s okay if your first cosplay isn’t so expensive. Literally, my first cosplay was a Halloween costume with fake blood.
What are you looking forward to in 2021? It doesn’t have to be cosplay related, it can be anything.
I’m starting my YouTube again and I’m going to start streaming on Twitch soon. Also, for my birthday I’m going back to Disney.
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!
The links to my YouTube and Twitch are above. You can also find me on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Patreon.
Inky_hijinks
While Inky_hijinks has been cosplaying for 10 years, they began to get more involved with the community in 2019. Their sister cosplayed first, and that led to them wanting cosplay, too! “Being able to dress up in your favorite costumes/aesthetics, and even become your favorite characters is such a euphoric experience. It’s like taking a small break from reality to be the hero, villain, or even the side character (lol) of your favorite anime!” You can check out their story below.
How do you decide what you’re going to cosplay?
I usually cosplay characters I either relate to, find aesthetically pleasing, or who are just downright interesting characters! There are so many to choose from but in the end, I find cosplay more enjoyable when I choose characters that I personally want to bring to life!
What cosplay are you most proud of? And yes, it’s absolutely ok to say ALL.
Tbh I really am proud of all of them. They are far from perfect, most are closet cosplays, some are thrifted, and some made, but I know that I’m only getting better and better since I first joined the community. And that’s what makes me so proud. I was lucky enough to meet wonderful people who cheered my work on, who gave me tips and tricks to improve myself, and who saw my potential. I love seeing the improvement over the months and can’t be more proud of how far things have come.
What’s a cosplay moment that you remember fondly?
Last year I finally went to Katsucon for the first time in nearly a decade. It was beautiful and I went to meet the people I met throughout the year. I have legit never had more fun than I did at the con. I got to see people who were once just faces behind a screen and I can’t wait to see all of them again!
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?
Honestly, I am KNOWN for watching a WhatCulture/Markiplier gameplay/or a random tutorial on something I’ve never heard of all while playing a video game(usually a JRPG).
Speaking of unwinding, who are your comfort characters? Who are you going to when you need a pick me up?
My go-to character to cosplay will probably always be Ciel Phantomhive (Black Butler). The intricate victorian styles are always just so beautiful and always a delight to run around in.
If you could live in a fictional universe where would it be and why?
Honestly probably Kingdom Hearts. Come on!! Disney characters, Final Fantasy characters, AND you can fight little beasties in bright and colorful worlds in garments that 15 yr old you would be so excited to see adult you have the confidence to be in! Like heck yeah.
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 personally like to add my own taste to it, be it more intricate patterns/fabrics/ jewels or even just certain makeup. I like to make it a bit my own because it feels a bit more personalized that way.
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 faves so far would have to be Valdemar (The Arcana), Aizawa (My Hero Academia), and Toy Bonnie (Five Nights at Freddy’s)!
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 too many to list so all I can say is I’m planning a few “cursed” cosplays based on very nice art! And I plan to bring back a few characters that I’ve done before to see if there were any improvements!
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?
Oooooh see that’s dangerous because I’d either do an angel OC that was closer to what biblical angels were depicted as or I’d do chaos from Hades (the video game). I would also entertain doing final boss Flowey (Undertale).
In yet another alternate universe, conventions are safe to return to, so where are you headed?
Holiday Matsuri! Last year Katsucon was supposed to be my start to more con going, not the end, but after Miss Rona hit I ended up canceling both Holiday Matsuri and Youmacon for safety (and then of course they canceled soon after anyways).
What inspires you to stay active in the community, especially in these trying times? If you haven’t been active that’s fine, too!
Tbh my reason for being active has never changed. I want to be an inspiration for other BIPOC cosplays. I want to speak out more about the injustices we face within this community. That was my goal at 60 followers and that’s my goal now. I started so late because despite my sister seeing my potential I was afraid there was no platform for cosplayers who look like me. But now it’s not about if there is one or not. It’s about unapologetically taking up space. It’s about enjoying a love for anime, gaming, and dressing up like the little nerds we all are because we deserve to enjoy things like anyone else. I want BIPOC who’ve been debating joining but too afraid to come across my page and think “wow…if they can do this…maybe I can too.”
That’s why I’ll continue to be active.
What does #28DaysOfBlackCosplay mean to you?
Honestly, it means a month of being seen. During the rest of the year, it feels hard because even despite dang near 90% of my following being BIPOC my white following is still pushed more. On Twitter, on TikTok, on Instagram, every social media sorta sweeps us under the carpet until this month rolls around before trying to seem active and diverse. So it means I get to see new faces and follow more amazing BIPOC and finally get to hear our voices again.
It’s March 1st, 2021, what would you like to see happen after the 28 days are over?
Each year I want to see the people and companies who claim diversity to show it the rest of the year. To stop with the faux activism and to actually make a true attempt. It’s rough seeing people who never share or follow BIPOC any other day of the year but during the 28 days act like they’ve been doing it the whole time. So this time I want to see people actually follow through with their words.
How can the community (people, events, etc.) do better to represent you and other Black cosplayers?
This community has got to make actual attempts to include us. Actual effort. If there’s an event that doesn’t have BIPOC representation, add them, it’s not that hard to find us we aren’t little fae in an over grown forest. If a company isn’t showing BIPOC in their lineup, question them, email them, ask why that is. Stop being complacent just because it doesn’t directly affect you.
Any tips for newcomers who are waffling on whether or not they should cosplay?
Do it!! 100% do it. You deserve to do things you enjoy. It gets extremely tough at times because there are a lot of people who get brash behind a screen, but remember that they are so bothered by your excellence that they made time out of their day to try and bring you down. Don’t give them that. You are amazing and you are going to bring great art into this world.
What are you looking forward to in 2021? It doesn’t have to be cosplay related, it can be anything.
Honestly this vaccine. I’m hoping for 2022 conventions and that’s a step in the right direction.
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!
There’s a linktree for that but I’m most active on Instagram and TikTok!
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That’s all for now! See everyone tomorrow!
(Image: Vera (Vera K) and Inky_hijinks)
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