SONICAT COSPLAY - THE TWO OF US, SARA AND BRIT

Now how would you feel if I told you that I had two girls at the same time. That's two girls I had the pleasure of interviewing of course. Two cosplay girls, Sara and Brit, who were as delightful as the myriad of costumes they wear for many a convention they attend. I best shut up now. Mustn't I? So Sara and Brit, it's now over to you.





1) What are your own origins, Sara and Brit? Plus when did you two first meet?   SARA: My first cosplay I ever did was at Nekocon, as Rinoa from Final Fantasy VIII.

It was TERRIBLE, Ha! At the time I had no idea what "cosplay" was really like. I just knew that some people liked to dress up for conventions. I loved the Final Fantasy series, so I went for it! As far as Brit and I's first meeting, well, that's a pretty funny story involving a party and a broken heart.

BRIT: Yeah! Sara and I met at a Halloween party, when I was having boy troubles, and she came rushing to my rescue, Ka-Pow! Since then we've been best friends. So cheesy, but that's what makes our friendship awesome! 

My origin story really starts from birth, Ha! I had an older brother who really got me into anime, comics, and video games, and since then I've always been into it. My first con was in middle school and I wasn't sure what to expect. I didn't cosplay at that point in time because I didn't know what it was about, but that was when I first saw people dressing up as characters and I thought that was so cool!

The second con I attended was in high school and by then I thought it was a blast. I cosplayed as Misa from Death Note and it was terrible! I fell in love with it though, and have been cosplaying and going to cons ever since.

2) What are the most persistent comments you’ve received from your followers?   SARA: Luckily we've had very positive comments! Of course you will always have the random negative opinions, but it seems like people are usually excited by our cosplay, and want to see more! We are so very, very grateful to have the support of such wonderful people. 

BRIT: Yeah. The majority of our comments have been very positive and uplifting and we always appreciate the support. A lot of people tend to comment about how accurate we cosplayed as a specific character and that's so important to us. We love it.

3) What is your ‘regular’ job? And does it in any way shape or form aide you as a Cosplayer?   SARA: I am a full-time student, and my regular job is working to help medically fragile children and adults obtain services they need -- so they can live at home with their families. I would not say it helps me as a cosplayer per se, but I have had so many amazing opportunities to use cosplay in a positive way for charity.

BRIT: I am also a full-time student. I am getting my degree in theatre, so that really helps me with cosplay, specifically for the technical lessons like makeup and small prop-building. 

4) How did your friends, family, and work-colleagues first react to the news that you like to cosplay?   SARA: Haha! Obviously most of my friends knew that I was into the whole culture of geekery, so they weren't surprised at all! I also have a big geeky family, and all of my brothers are into video games and comics in some shape or form.

My co-workers on the other hand had a pretty mixed reaction. However, when I explained how cosplay could be used to bring joy to some of the families we worked with, they were definitely on board.

BRIT: I don't think I've ever received a super negative reaction to my cosplaying. My brother is as nerdy as I am, so of course my family is used to it by now. My mom is my super fan, and she just likes my Black Cat cosplay, which she calls my "catwoman outfit" -- she's so funny. My friends -- like Sara said -- all pretty much knew I was into that stuff so they all thought it was cool.

I used to work at a clothing store and I remember my manager found out that I cosplayed and thought it was the coolest thing she's ever seen. Now she messages me about costume parties for my advice, Ha! So overall, I've always had a pretty positive reaction! 

5) How do you decide what Cosplay costume to wear for a convention? And who makes them?   SARA: What cosplay I choose for a convention is usually a mix of things: what character I am really excited to cosplay, how much time and money I can spend on the outfit, as well as what type of convention it is. The outfits that I have done so far are usually a combination of store-bought, hand-made, and modified. I try to make sure that I get to assemble the parts in just the right way, and that with every cosplay I push my crafting skills a little bit further.

BRIT: Pretty much exactly as Sara put it, Ha! I have a long list of characters that I love and typically it goes by the order of how excited I am to do it, as well as what type of convention is coming up next. I typically buy my costumes, but I do some heavy modifying to make them closer to the character. I would love to get to a point where I can make my costumes though! Sara and I are still working on our sewing skills. 

6) What have you learnt about yourself whilst Cosplaying? And were their any unforeseen obstacles you had to content with?   SARA: I have definitely learned to be more accepting of myself, flaws and all. When you are working with outfits that can be a little revealing, or taking photos of yourself which may not be the most flattering, you have to learn to be comfortable with not being perfect. I have also learned that I can be pretty darn inventive, and sometimes I surprise myself with how well I can do a certain craft or how dedicated I am to a project.

BRIT: I've learned that I'm a perfectionist to a fault, Ha! Even though I've had that classic breakdown situation where I throw a costume on the ground, swearing I won't wear it because it looks awful, the next day I'm in it and I have a blast regardless and it always seems to come together. Reminding myself that it's all in good fun really turns it around.

7) What was the best / worst convention you ever attended?   SARA: I would say that I love every convention for different reasons. Maybe the content is amazing, or the community is fantastic, or the atmosphere is just perfect. And if you're lucky you get all of the above! I have never walked away from a convention without having at least found some part of the con I really enjoyed.

BRIT: Agreed. I have never come away from a con disappointed in it overall. There is always something that can save it and make it fun, even if it's just being there with all your friends and being goofballs, it's never a bad experience.

8) What would be your dream Cosplay gig and outfit?   SARA: My dream cosplay would probably be something ridiculous like Wing Zero from Gundam Wing, or Screaming Mantis from Metal Gear Solid. Something really out there.

BRIT: My dream cosplay is a full-on Iron Man suit for sure, Ka-Pow! Tony Stark is my favorite hero, and if I can also make the suit fly... bonus points.

9) Has their ever been an outfit you just did not like wearing? And if so, why?   SARA: Unfortunately there have been a few outfits that after a few hours of wearing I was just so done! The Mikasa cosplay was really uncomfortable because of all the straps, and also because the gear was heavy and bulky. Luckily these things don't apply in the anime world, Ha!

BRIT: Oh gosh! My least favorite outfit was my Poison Ivy one. Which is funny because I knew going into it that I was fed up with the costume as the execution was so poor --  the leotard I used that I glued leaves to was a tad too small. On top of that, I also hated the wig I bought and ended up borrowing one of Sara's, Ha! At the day of the con my friends were still hot gluing leaves to me because of the struggle I had putting the darn thing on. Honestly. It was just a disaster, and I swore I wasn't doing it again! But I can laugh about it now. It was a good learning experience!

10) Do you have a credo you live by?   SARA: I always tell myself to not worry about what other people think, and to stay in competition with myself. That way I can always strive to be better for me.

BRIT: My most important rule for anything having to do with cosplay -- or even life in general -- is to just have fun. There's no point in getting so serious about a huge game of dress up, just like as an actor you can't be afraid to get up onstage or in front of a camera and act like a fool or play pretend! Take yourself lightly and be able to laugh about it later, that's the only way you're going to have fun! 

Wow! And on that very positive note, dear reader, I'd like to thank Sara and Brit for telling us about their life as cosplayers, before directing you towards their facebook page, SoniCat Cosplay.