How long you have been cosplaying: since 2013

Other Characters I’ve cosplayed: Faith from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Tauriel from the Hobbit, Captain America, Black Widow, Terminator T-800, Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor, Phoenix from the X-men. Bruce Banner/ Hulk

Facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/ErinKFcosplay

My best friend of fourteen years introduced me to Cosplaying. Like most people I knew at the time, I had no idea what Cosplaying was. I went to my first convention Cosplaying as the Vampire slayer Faith. It was there that I saw all the amazing costumes and all the hard work that other cosplayers had done. I was hooked immediately.

When I’m not Cosplaying I’m a full time student starting my second year of college. I’m working on a theatre/ creative writing double major. I’m also involved in volunteering for the Girls Scouts in my area. In my down time I work on writing poetry and finishing my three novellas.

The costume that was the biggest challenge for me to date was my Thor costume. It was so rewarding to finally finish the armor and gauntlets and put it all together. My Captain America costume also provided a huge challenge in putting the designs on the shield and helmet. My favorite part of Cosplaying is when all your work culminates in a costume that transforms you into a character.

4. What is the best advice you would give someone new to cosplaying? Everyone has their own perspectives and ideas. How you view your favorite character may not be how other people do. Your cosplay is the physical manifestation of how you personally see a character, which is pretty cool. There is no right or wrong way to do it. It doesn’t have to be exact or homemade just so long as your happy with it. Have fun and have respect each other. But most importantly have fun.

One problem that I’ve run into a lot is criticism over my costumes not being exactly identical to the way the character was portrayed in the source material. Comments such as “You costume looks good but if only you did…” undermines the cosplayer’s hard work. It is enough to appreciate another cosplayer’s costume and complement them for what it is rather than critique them for what it isn’t. Mutual respect would make the cosplaying community better and stronger.