#28DaysOfBlackCosplay at The Mary Sue, Day Three
Meet Charanne Loves and Stardust Megu!
Happy Wednesday, fellow Wednesday-ners! We’re now on the third day of our #28DaysOfBlackCosplay feature fest and have two amazing Black cosplayers to share with you today. If you’re looking for motivation on what to use that pile of fabric for (no judgment, those JoAnns coupons are relentless), or just wanna see some neat looks and say to yourself, “Damn, that’s neat,” then you’re in for a treat for the remainder of February!
Charanne Loves
While she would cosplay, on occasion, at local cons, Charanne Loves has been more active in the community since 2019. What started as dressing up for raves has blossomed into an ongoing passion for cosplay. She’s also got her own clothing business with looks that are heavily inspired by various fandoms, combining her love for cosplay with clothing design! Check out her cosplay story below.
How do you decide what you’re going to cosplay?
I’m the most chaotic cosplayer ever, I will wake up one day and be like, “I think a sexy Pickle Rick cosplay would be cool!”
Also me, “Oh I have an old wig that would be perfect to do this random character from an obscure anime.”
LOL, it’s basically a minute by minute thing for me.
What cosplay are you most proud of? And yes, it’s absolutely ok to say ALL.
I’m most proud of my Appare-Ranman cosplay because it was one of the first times I did a cosplay that NO ONE had ever done and I made it from leftover materials in like a night. Other than that I love my Pharaoh Atem cosplay, cuz doing the wig was such a fun challenge. I looooove doing natural hair wigs!
What’s a cosplay moment that you remember fondly?
Honestly, 2020 as a while was a HUGE cosplay moment/journey! I got featured on AFROPUNK, Punk Black, A LOT of cosplay pages, and idk, it’s still unreal to me!
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?
Right now I’m absolutely addicted to playing Overwatch! It’s my favorite thing to do when I’m not doing orders or doing a cosplay.
Speaking of unwinding, who are your comfort characters? Who are you going to when you need a pick me up?
I think my comfort character is Tony Tony Chopper from One Piece.
If you could live in a fictional universe where would it be and why?
Omg! YES! I would love to be in Himouto! Umaru-chan!
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 am sooo random, but I usually do put a twist on my cosplays! A lot of it comes from the fact that I have locs and I have to make custom wigs to fit my head. I also don’t have the conventional body type, so I also tend to have to put a spin on my outfits for my own comfortability.
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?
I honestly love all my babies (my cosplays) I can’t choose just one, LOL!
What do your 2021 cosplans look like? If you’re trying to keep it secret OR you have no plans, that’s fine!
Most of my cosplans will revolve around my clothing business so it’s gonna be pretty random. So far tho it will mainly be Akatsuki inspired!
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 don’t have a dream cosplay really, I honestly would try to make EVERYTHING that looks cool. However, my top ones would be Buggy the Clown and Corazon from One Piece.
In yet another alternate universe, conventions are safe to return to, so where are you headed?
Definitely ANY conventions in Cali!
What inspires you to stay active in the community, especially in these trying times? If you haven’t been active that’s fine, too!
Honestly every time I see new cosplayers in the community! I want to be a beacon for them to keep going and just kick butt!
What does #28DaysOfBlackCosplay mean to you?
It is a HUGE breath of fresh air EVERY year!
It’s March 1st, 2021, what would you like to see happen after the 28 days are over?
To just keep seeing Black cosplayers creating and being great!
How can the community (people, events, etc.) do better to represent you and other Black cosplayers?
I would love for the community to continue to uplift ALL Black cosplayers more! Trans men and women, plus-sized, disabled, all demographics! I also hope we can support more cosplayers that do sex work, it takes A LOT of courage and effort sometimes to bring characters to life in a spicier way!
Any tips for newcomers who are waffling on whether or not they should cosplay?
PLEASE! Have fun, you will drown yourself if you aren’t enjoying yourself when you are making your content! If you have questions my DMs will forever be open on ALL platforms! If you have to tag me in a post that you want me to see that is fine! I am super busy, but I will check you out and shoot some advice if you ask!
What are you looking forward to in 2021? It doesn’t have to be cosplay related, it can be anything.
Whew! Honestly, the way 2020 went down, I’m just taking it day by day.
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 linked my clothing business above, but you can also find me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and OnlyFans!
Stardust Megu
“In the name of Moon I’ll punish you!”
Last new cosplay of 2020: Sailor Moon! I know I posted this cosplay yesterday, but this one is a regular post (with different poses)! 🥰 Will post a WIP thread soon!
Cosplay made & worn by me! #blackcosplayer #plussizecosplayer pic.twitter.com/5raTj7KckH
— Megu von Albrecht (@Stardust_Megu) December 9, 2020
Stardust Megu has known about cosplay since 2005. From watching anime on Toonami to printing out pictures of characters to paste on her notebook (lol I’m glad I’m not the only one who did this), she was blown away to see folks actually dressing up as her faves! Already a creative at heart, she was immediately interested, but wouldn’t end up cosplaying until 2010 when she attended New York Comic Con as Haruhi Suzumiya. “I bought the cosplay and used my real hair,” she says. “I was super nervous because I’m Black (darker-skinned) and plus-sized, but my friends were with me throughout.” She goes on to say that her cosplay wasn’t perfect, in her opinion, but everyone was nice and she had a lot of fun, leading to those infamous last words, “I need to do this again next year!”
Over 10 years later and here we are! That’s how cosplay gets you, I swear.
How do you decide what you’re going to cosplay?
There’s so many factors that influence my decision, but I always decide to do characters that I really love, if it’s within my skill level and sometimes if I can learn a new skill.
What cosplay are you most proud of? And yes, it’s absolutely ok to say ALL.
This is super hard, but right now I would say my Camilla cosplay from Fire Emblem Fates.
I can’t believe that it’s been a whole year since I debuted my Camilla cosplay at @animenyc and competed at their Cosplay Masquerade! I didn’t win, but I’m super proud of myself!
1st 📷 @DTJAAAAM
2nd 📷 @DJRanmaS
3rd 📷 gedwardsphoto (IG)
Cosplay made and worn by me! pic.twitter.com/mUuBYwQ9ki— Megu von Albrecht (@Stardust_Megu) November 17, 2020
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?
Right now I’m playing Final Fantasy X (HD Remaster) and the very 1st Fire Emblem game. I’m also rewatching Hunter x Hunter (the 2011 anime).
Speaking of unwinding, who are your comfort characters? Who are you going to when you need a pick me up?
Easy. Balthus von Albrecht from Fire Emblem Three Houses. He can pick me up anytime!
If you could live in a fictional universe where would it be and why?
This is hard, but I would say the Fire Emblem universe (Jugdral especially lol) and hopefully be a badass Lord, Myrmidon, or a Mage. Sorry I really love Fire Emblem!
Hexing month is going great!! ☠☠ Here’s a throwback to my Tharja cosplay from Fire Emblem Awakening!
📷 @SomeSayImModest
Cosplay made and worn by me! #blackcosplayerhere #plussizedcosplayer #PlusSizeAppreciationDay #31daysofcosplay pic.twitter.com/8ZqVzsTK5X— Megu von Albrecht (@Stardust_Megu) October 7, 2020
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.”
There were a few times that I did my own twists, but I mostly try to cosplay the character as accurately as I can. When I mean accurate, I only mean focusing on the outfit, wig, and props. I feel that it’ll easier for me to become them.
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?
It’s always changing, but right now it’s Sailor Moon from Sailor Moon, Camilla from Fire Emblem Fates, and Byleth from Fire Emblem Three Houses (yes more Fire Emblem lol). The first two 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 a lot of surprise cosplays, but I’m looking forward to cosplaying Balthus von Albrecht from Fire Emblem Three Houses, Ayra from Fire Emblem Genealogy of the Holy War, and Lynn Minmay from Macross. As of writing this, I’m also completely remaking my Panther cosplay from Persona 5. I cosplayed her back in 2018 and feel that it’s time for an upgrade!
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?
Definitely the Wing Zero Custom from Gundam Wing!
In yet another alternate universe, conventions are safe to return to, so where are you headed?
I want to go back to Anime NYC! It’s one of my favorite cons. I also would like to travel to more out of state cons like Anime Expo, Otakon, and C2E2!
What does #28DaysOfBlackCosplay mean to you?
28 Days is one of my favorite times of the year. I get to see more up and coming Black cosplayers to support and I show folks cosplayers who are super talented and who deserve the recognition. 28 Days is very important because there are so many Black cosplayers in the community and we’re just as talented, but we get discriminated against and hated on because of our skin color and we don’t get highlighted enough or get many opportunities compared to white and non-black POC cosplayers. If you google “cosplay” then you have to keep scrolling just to see a few Black cosplayers. Because of this people believe that there’s not many Black cosplayers in the community and Black nerds who want to cosplay may be super hesitant to do so. It means so much to not just me but to other Black cosplayers and Black folks in general. It shows folks that not only do Black cosplayers exist, but we’re just as amazing and talented as everyone else.
It’s March 1st, 2021, what would you like to see happen after the 28 days are over?
I would like to see White and non-black POC cosplayers and events to still remember that we exist all year round. 28 days shows the Black cosplayers, but continue to support us even after March hits. No preformative bs!
How can the community (people, events, etc.) do better to represent you and other Black cosplayers?
The community and especially events need to give more Black cosplayers opportunities and highlights and even more to Black cosplayers who are also darker-skinned, plus-sized, disabled, and LGBTQ. I noticed that when the community does highlight and give opportunities to Black cosplayers, 90% of the time it’s usually to those who are thin, lighter-skinned, able-bodied, cis and straight even though there are so many black cosplayers of different body sizes, shades, and identities. I preach this all the time. The community needs to support all types of Black cosplayers and also learn about intersectionality. The struggles that Black cosplayers face aren’t all the same. Depending on the type of Black cosplayer that you are, you might face even more scrutiny than other fellow Black cosplayers and have to work 30x harder just to get an ounce of recognition.
Events need to get more super marginalized Black cosplayers to be cosplay judges (having 1 or 2 doesn’t count). I’ve been competing for years and I was judged by 4 Black judges (but only 1 was plus-sized and the others were thin and lighter-skinned). Sometimes I would be the only one or one of the few Black cosplayers competing. There are so many talented Black cosplayers who want to compete, but don’t bother because they don’t feel represented with the judge list. Having more super marginalized Black cosplayers as judges will put Black cosplayers at ease and more will sign up! Heck, I would be happy to judge a contest!
Any tips for newcomers who are waffling on whether or not they should cosplay?
Cosplay is rated E for Everyone! Pick a character and have fun! Cosplay however you want. If you want to make your cosplay then go for it! If you want to buy then go for it! If you want to do a closet cosplay then go for it! Cosplay however you want! You’re gonna look amazing! Myself and so many others will have your back!
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 have an entire list ready to go! Come check me out over on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Ko-fi, TikTok, and Twitch.
_
That’s all for today! See everyone tomorrow for more costume play!
(Image: Charanne Loves and Stardust Megu)
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