First Name: Barbara or Bobbie
Age: 24

When did you first get interested in cosplay?

I’ve been into anime since I was at least 10 and that lifestyle came to my attention through that. I liked the pictures I saw of people dressed like characters I loved. I had no idea until at least closer to the end of high school that it was a lifestyle, and that it existed in forms outside of anime characters.

What do you like most about cosplay?

The dedication to a lifestyle.  Especially the Cosplayers that don’t just dress for cons and such. The Cosplayers that live cosplay are so admirable. The sheer balls it takes to defy convention and live with your insides on the outside for all to see. I love the time and love that goes into the clothes that cosplayers wear. For myself I love the idea of putting someone else on for a little while. It’s kinda empowering.

What does cosplay mean to you?

I think of myself as a storyteller. If you ask any costume designer worth their salt they’ll tell you that a character’s outside can tell you a lot about their inside. If I create a character; and for the most part with steampunk that’s the way to go, you want people to know what to expect by just looking. You don’t want to have to read them your bio page, no matter how awesome it is, in order to understand what you are about. Nobody is going to do that anyway. Tell a story without speaking, and other mystic kung fu sounding stuff.

What are the main reasons you enjoy cosplay?

I like becoming someone stronger or prettier or just different from myself. I like telling stories.

How often to you practice cosplay or make costumes?

I’d say it’s really only a hobby. I don’t have the juevos to live out loud like that all the time. Usually during con season and Halloween.

What were your influences?

Firefly, various and sundry steam punk novels, Pirate adventure novels, Errol Flyyn movies, comic books, Sherlock Holmes, Cowboy Bebop, Steam punk animes, a love of storytelling. I got a lot of inspiration from the recent Sherlock Holmes movie…

So why steampunk?

It honestly could’ve been anything. Steampunk just happened to come into my life a the time that was right; when I also happened to be into cosplay. It could change tomorrow…but I doubt it will. Steampunk allows for me to be creative…not a lot of anime characters for me to identify with on a physical basis either. I like authenticity in my costuming. Most anime characters, especially females, are not of the brown persuasion.

Character Name: Winifred Pistol

Description: The illegitimate daughter of a wealthy British landowner. She was sent to the Americas “to be educated” with her foster mother; a Mrs. Esther Darling, and Mrs. Darling’s son Charlie. She ended her formative years in a boarding school for young ladies after Mrs. Darling passed away. She was promised to Charlie Darling before he went off to the wars. The news of his death devastated Winnie. She joined the Woman’s Steam Rifle Corps as soon as she was eligible with her friend from Mrs. Firth’s Finishing School for Young Ladies of Distinction, Henrietta LeRue. After Hen left to be married Winnie opened a bookshop and was content in the life until Hen returned, a wealthy widow. Hen asked Winnie to be her boson and first mate on the steamship she purchased with the money her much hated husband left to her. They, with the rest of their crew of mischief makers, have a “shipping business” that takes them all over the wide and frightening world.

Character Name: Harriet Dolores Revvel

Description: The spoiled daughter of an admiral in the Queen’s Navy. She was forced into service by her father after an incident of temper in Picadilly Circus that left a shop girl seriously injured and her father fined 100 pounds for damages. She took to leadership like her father and plans to work her way into the Captaincy of the Bethlehem, a war-class sky ship.

I have been interviewing cosplayers and those in the cosplay industry since 2005. My intention is to post interviews and profiles on cosplayers in this blog to give readers a more comprehensive picture of the lives of cosplayers and the cosplay industry as a whole. I also intend to compose and post analytical articles and narratives about media surrounding cosplay, anime, manga and the influences they have made around the world.