Cosplay Spotlight: Robyn G.!

Posted on June 5, 2017 by Natalie in Cosplay Life // 0 Comments

First name and last initial: Robyn G.

Where are you from originally, or where do you currently reside? Born/live in Pittsburgh, PA.

How long have you been cosplaying? About a year and a half.

Which characters have you cosplayed? Jyn Erso (Rogue One, Imperial Disguise), Tracer + Soldier 76 (Overwatch), Piper Wright (Fallout 4), Miranda Lawson (Mass Effect 2).

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What inspired you to start cosplaying? A few friends and I decided to dress as Fallout 4 characters for PAX East 2016 for fun. People on the floor were calling us by our in-game names and even Bethesda asked for our photo; it just completely blew my mind! We then went to a meetup of other Fallout cosplayers, and that was when I realized cosplay was a whole community in and of itself.

I’m also inspired by my incredibly talented friend Del Borovic who not only makes amazing cosplay but has been a godsend with photography and modeling advice. She was the first person I ever did a joint photo shoot with, and we had so much fun I realized that this is what I wanted to do with my dwindling free time. 🙂

What do you do when you’re not cosplaying? I’m a Business Analyst Consultant by day, which is an amazing job with how flexible it is. In my spare time away from cosplay, I like to work on Lego/model kits or draw. If the weather is nice, I also like to ride bikes with my husband (and I often bike commute to work as well!).

Which costumes have provided the biggest challenge and rewards so far, and why? Tracer, by far. It was the first costume I completed 100% from scratch, doing all the sewing, foam work, wig styling and LED soldering. I had to learn how to work with foam on a much bigger scale, making sure that the armor would actually be proportional to my frame. Adding in the LEDs was a challenge as well, not only making sure I didn’t short out my LEDs (which I did…way too many times), but making sure I had the battery packs hidden away well enough.
The jacket and leggings were probably the hardest part, as I am not a seamstress at all. I ripped apart existing clothing to create patterns for both, and spent a lot of hours in front of my machine cursing it out. Wearing it to Katsucon 2017 all completed was an amazing feeling. So many people asked for photos and I just felt so proud when they asked, “How did you make ‘x'” or “Who made that?” and I could talk their ear off about how I had done it all myself!

What is the best advice you would give someone new to cosplaying? It is alright to make mistakes! I have talked to a lot of people who say they are afraid of messing up or not getting their cosplay 100% accurate so they don’t even begin. Don’t worry about that! You can always buy more fabric, foam, etc. I’ve learned so much just by simply making mistakes, and they still happen (and I’m sure they will only continue!). Don’t let that fear keep you from even starting.

What is one thing the cosplaying community can do better when it comes to dealing with each other? I’ve been lucky in that I don’t experience a lot of negativity in the community, but it is there. What I often see is people comparing themselves to others. Nothing good ever comes of that! Don’t worry if someone “looks more like x” or “their costume is better than mine”. You don’t know what kind of resources they have (time, money, etc.). All that matters in cosplay is having fun. If you put on a costume, whether you made it or bought it, as long as you’re having fun, you’re doing cosplay right!