1. What is your name, and where do you hail from?
My real name is Shantel, but I go by Shiya a lot more! From Southern California (Fontana) middle of no where.

2. Tell us a little about yourself. Do you have any interesting hobbies outside of cosplay?
Outside of cosplay? I really love photography, modeling, and drawing, but I’m not really good at any of those! haha. I do love spending time with my boyfriend and closest friends. When I’m not at school or sewing,  I feel so relaxed around them.

3. How long have you been cosplaying?
Since early 2005, but with so little inexperience and a lot of frustration.

4. What initially drew you to cosplay?
My best friend mentioned it when I was going to plan a trip to visit her in Pennsylvania. She also asked me to make a costume, so I had a lady make one for me. This was for Otakon 2004, and I had no idea what conventions were like or anything, but I didn’t really start sewing on my own until 05.

5. What was the first character that you cosplayed?
Gunner Yuna from Final Fantasy X-2. That costume no longer exists.

6. What is your favorite thing about cosplay?
I love how much of a reward it feels to have worked so hard on something and get praise for it. I also use conventions to hang out with all of my friends (most of them I don’t get to see throughout the year).

7. What is your least favorite thing?
Drama. I don’t like to hear it. It makes people have miserable times.;

8. What was your most enjoyable cosplay experience?
It’s so hard to say. I’ve enjoyed so many, but he best conventions I went to happened to be with my best friend. She really is awesome!

9. And your least?
Latest would be Katsucon 2009. I had such a miserable time, and I tried not to think about it while I was there.

10. What is the last event at which you cosplayed, and what did you cosplay?
Anime LA, I cosplayed as Princess Kairi from Kingdom Hearts 2. It was an original design, and the only costume I really had time to make for this convention. I originally planned 3 total, but holidays were slowing me down.

11. What is the next event at which you plan to cosplay?
I think So. Cal Spring Gathering and Fanime

12 What do you have in the works for upcoming conventions or events?
I’m trying to figure it out. School kind of makes things hard for me! For sure, I have TouHou Flandre Scarlett, Megaman Zero– Ciel, Misao from Pretty Sammy, and one more CardCaptor Sakura outfit. Everything else will come whenever I have more time.

Thank you so much for talking to us!

Here are two last parting shots for everyone to look at in awe of Shiya’s incredible abilities.

Our Hot Cosplayer of the Month for January 2010 is Jessica Nova!

1. What is your name, and where do you hail from?
I am Jessica Nova, soon to be Jessica Carroll hehe. Lately I’ve been just called Nova :-D I am originally from Florida, Deltona to be exact right outside of Orlando, but moved to Dawsonville, GA in September.

2. Tell us a little about yourself. Do you have any interesting hobbies outside of cosplay?
I am a bizarre individual so I am told. I’m a super nerd so hobbies include playing video games, currently I’m addicted to pokemon diamond on the ds and the wii fit. Cosplaying and costuming is my biggest hobby, I spend most of my time either modeling or sewing for commission work if I’m not doing things for myself. I do enjoy cooking a lot though and photography. I love reading comic books in the bath tub and love love love working out.

3. How long have you been cosplaying?
Since I could walk haha! My first costume was Tinkerbell when I was very small and I don’t think I have ever stopped, officially I’ve been cosplaying for about 6 or 7 years now? I think I’m going on 7.

4. What initially drew you to cosplay?
I was intrigued by the idea of it, I love dressing up, I have a theatre background so it came naturally, atleast the thought process did, the skills I had to teach myself or have had wonderful helpful people that let me pick their brains for questions. I loved all these different characters, I spent so much time wanting to be them and now I finally could in an arena that it was acceptable to dress up.

5. What was the first character that you cosplayed?
The very character I cosplayed at a convention was Queen Beryl from Sailor Moon.

6. What is your favorite thing about cosplay?
The ability to be whoever and whatever I choose, from crazy clown to pokemon to super hero to super villian, it is without limits. I am a firm believer there is always a way to do a costume no matter how difficult it may seem.

7. What is your least favorite thing?
I am not a fan of the catty behavior of some of the crowd, but that happens anywhere and with anything, one simply has to learn to let it go.

8. What was your most enjoyable cosplay experience?
I love being Harley, it’s my absolute favorite character to be and I love when little kids come up to me and believe I am the real Harley, it’s as if I made one of their dreams come true. I love that aspect of it, making a world of make believe true.

9. And your least?
Wearing a costume when one isn’t feeling up to par is the worst experience. I was very sick at this years past Dragoncon and it wasn’t fun at all, I didn’t feel like I was doing any justice to my craft.

10. What is the last event at which you cosplayed, and what did you cosplay?
Dragoncon 2009, I was Harley Quinn, Ventress from Star Wars, Arkham Prisoner Harley Quinn, and The Dark Knight Joker. I had a couple of other costumes with me but didn’t get a chance to wear them.

11. What is the next event at which you plan to cosplay?
Either Coonooga TN or Megacon in Orlando.

12. What do you have in the works for upcoming conventions or events?
Oh my goodness, I always have 30 different things I am trying to work on. Currently I’m working on some commissions but as for things for myself upcoming costumes include a new version of Harley Quinn, Sailor Moon, Dr Quinzel, and probably a few other crazy assortment of things.

Thank you so much for talking to us!

Here is one last parting shot for all to enjoy.

1. What is your name, and where do you hail from?
Hi guys! I am Yaya and currently reside in Atlanta, GA. I was born in China and raised in Germany and China. I’ve been living in the States for about a decade now though.

2. Tell us a little about yourself. Do you have any interesting hobbies outside of cosplay?
Well, I work for myself so I don’t have much free time, but it’s nice to be able to make my own schedule. Aside from booking commercial modeling jobs and convention appearances as a Professional Cosplayer, I do two types of costume design work. One is for full costume creation for production companies, tv shows, etc. The other is hand made cosplay accessories which I sell at conventions. I travel to 25+ conventions per year, within the USA and internationally.
When I do have a break, I suppose I am pretty normal lol. Maybe because my work is so unusual and “interesting” already, all I want to do when I have a break is to catch up on books and TV shows and do more laid back things. However, I am a ravenous shopper and traveler and enjoy activities like caving and mountain driving.

3. How long have you been cosplaying?
As of the end of 2009, I have been cosplaying for 10 years. It started as simply a hobby and turned into my full time job in 2005. You never know where life takes you lol.

4. What initially drew you to cosplay?
As a fan of Anime and Manga since early childhood I thought it was a fascinating way to express my passion for this fandom. Instead of collecting and wearing merchandise of my favorite characters, or even doing fanart of them which I was heavily involved in, I could actually dress up as those characters. However, once I ventured into costume making, I became more drawn to the potential unlimited creativity Cosplay presented. I had so much fun with the sewing, pattern drafting, wig styling, sculpting, jewelry making, props etc. that to this day, the crafty aspects are what keep me interested. I love that even after 10 years, I still have new goals and challenges to meet, and thirst for more knowledge and skills.

5. What was the first character that you cosplayed?
I count two costumes as my first true Cosplay experience, when I made Mill-chan from “Megaburst Maze” and Mana from Malice Mizer’s “Au Revoir” video.

6. What is your favorite thing about cosplay?
Cosplay gave me so much, including a career path doing something I love immensely, and the life long friends I’ve made.

7. What is your least favorite thing?
My least favorite aspect is the lack of time I have to devote to personal costume projects these days. I have fabric for over 4 costumes laying around and no time to make the costumes.
I also wish cosplay wouldn’t be so entwined with drama and rumors. The worst I heard about myself was when someone was spreading the rumor that I didn’t make my own costumes but hired others to create them for me. That makes me laugh in disgust, because I spend so much time and sweat on making each of my costumes by hand.

8. What was your most enjoyable cosplay experience?
It is impossible to pick just one! Some of the best experiences include performing on stage at the Grand International Cosplay Ball in London, UK. and partying with cosplayers from over 10 countries; hanging out at the bar at my favorite con, Dragoncon with a ton of friends from all over the States; and though it was not really enjoyable at the time due to stress, one of the most rewarding experience was to win the Yume Cosplay Prize in the costume contest at New York Anime Fest 2009. My friend Anna Raper and I won a trip to Tokyo, Japan, a shopping spree and invited attendance to Tokyo Anime Faire.

9. And your least?
There have been some rare but frustrating moments involving broken zippers in the past year lol. I have no luck with metal zippers and will never use them again. Three times I’ve had to scramble to fix a costume at an event when the zipper broke.

10. What is the last event at which you cosplayed, and what did you cosplay?
I was the Cosplay Guest for Anime USA 2009 this November. I wore Misa Amane from Deathnote, my original Steampunk Madam, and Carmilla from Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust.

11. What is the next event at which you plan to cosplay?
I am returning to London this month as Performing Guest at the Grand International Cosplay Ball! I can’t reveal what I’m doing yet for it but updates will be on my website asap!

12 What do you have in the works for upcoming conventions or events?
I had to take a little break after making Carmilla, but over the holidays I’d love to start on a couple of new costumes. Like I said, I already have materials for them. There will always be more costumes in the works for upcoming events lol!

Here is one last parting shot of Yaya’s amazing work!

To see more of Yaya’s work, you can visit her website at http://angelicstar.net.

1. What is your name, and where do you hail from?
My name’s Karen, and right now I hail from the Florida panhandle. Though, I’m originally from Wisconsin, and I’ve moved around quite a bit.

2. Tell us a little about yourself. Do you have any interesting hobbies outside of cosplay?
Well, right now I work as a portrait photographer, though I went to college for graphic design. That being said, I like designing things, and I dabble in photography somewhat! XD I’m also a big dork who draws animu in her spare time — fan art and original characters. I can also bake up a mean batch of black & white cookies.

3. How long have you been cosplaying?
Since 2004, so this was my 5th year cosplaying and going to conventions.

4. What initially drew you to cosplay?
When I first started getting into anime, the character designs really stood out to me — they were very aesthetically pleasing, and so darn COOL-looking. I really loved the interesting outfits and the odd hairstyles/colors.

5. What was the first character that you cosplayed?
My FIRST first was Sailor Neptune, back for Halloween in the 8th grade — my mom made it for me, and I didn’t even know what cosplay really was back then. The first costume I actually made was Suzuka from Outlaw Star, though I only wore it for a backyard photoshoot.

6. What is your favorite thing about cosplay?
I love getting to be my favorite characters! It’s really rewarding to cosplay characters you like and identify with. Also, since I’m normally very quiet and reserved, wearing the costumes out at conventions, and getting pictures taken, and meeting other cosplayers kinda brings me out of my shell a bit.

7. What is your least favorite thing?
The drama, and the occasional creep-o or “awkward turtle” you can encounter.

8. What was your most enjoyable cosplay experience?
Group and pairing cosplays are always good for fun times! I don’t know if I can pick a favorite, but a really good experience was performing a Code Geass skit with my two best friends at Anime North ’09. I’m not really a skit-person, but I had an idea and ran with it. I planned out the dialogue and songs used, Momo (our Lelouch) helped me with the sound editing, and Matt (our Suzaku) choreographed it, since he’s all theater-y and knows how that stuff works. In the end, we got a really great response from the audience, and even won an award!

9. And your least?
I’ve never really had any TERRIBLE cosplay experiences, though Megacon ’09 was pretty stressful because one of my best friends got really sick and had to be rushed to the hospital, and I was really worried for most of the con.

10. What is the last event at which you cosplayed, and what did you cosplay?
My last convention was Anime Weekend Atlanta, and I cosplayed as Tabitha from Zero no Tsukaima, Euphemia from Code Geass, and Mitsuru from Persona 3.

11. What is the next event at which you plan to cosplay?
It’ll be Megacon 2010, in Orlando.

12 What do you have in the works for upcoming conventions or events?
So far, I’m planning on Ciel from Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler), Minori from Toradora, and Anemone from Eureka Seven for Megacon. I also have a few different versions of C.C. from Code Geass (and possibly a new Euphemia) planned, possibly a Saoran/Sakura duo with Matt (my cosplay partner in crime), as well as a Gurren Lagann duo cosplay. We have way too many ideas right now, really. XD

Thank you so much for answering our questions. =)

Here is one final parting shot of her amazing cosplay.

Along move conventional lines I’ve also been a figure skater of 16–17 years, a dancer for 12 and a here and there gymnast. I trained hell ponies for a while for a summer camp and I’ve been a stadium jumper for about 5 years as well. Horses are stunningly amazing creatures that I love so much. Riding is such a serene experience that allows you to learn so much about yourself. Beyond that I’m a frequent archer and use a Winn and Winn Pro riser, re-curve bow. Overall, I live on the principle that if it’s strange I want to try it. Conventional sports haven’t ever done much for me haha.


3. How long have you been cosplaying?
I have been cosplaying for about 7 years. I started in 2003.

4. What initially drew you to cosplay?
I was told about Anime Boston 2003, it’s first year, about a week before it happened and decided to go for a day. It was totally amazing and I knew I absolutely wanted to be one of the people in the pretty costumes. It was a split second moment that made me a cosplayer.

5. What was the first character that you cosplayed?
The first character I cosplayed was Kagura from Inuyasha. My mom bought me a machine and fabric and she sent me on my way. I used that same machine for 5 of the 7 years of my cosplaying time. I still have it. That costume was a train wreck though, it was just awful! But live and learn, right? Haha.

6. What is your favorite thing about cosplay?
Oh god, there is so much I love about this hobby. You know, “hobby” is so the wrong term for cosplaying, it’s so much more a lifestyle. You see the world differently when you life you life in terms of the next convention and the next costume hah. It’s so much more than just a hobby. I think my favorite thing about cosplay is group costuming with my great friends and that first moment you put on a finished costume and you just think “wow. I made this. This is my costume.“

7. What is your least favorite thing?
Oh boy, the drama. There’s so little to say on the topic because we all know about it. It’s the little black demon is the corner, you know?

8. What was your most enjoyable cosplay experience?
I think it might have been a tie between the Tentacle Hentai skit at Katsucon 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRZbJRSo6M4 or the A Day in your Nintendo DS skit at Anime Boston 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-xx9strPeo. The former was just thrown together at the con, it was so much fun with amazing people and doing that skit was so fun. I laugh every time I think about it. Then there’s the DS skit that was a lot of dancing I learned in about 20 minutes and practiced for hours with one of my best friends through cosplay, Renee (Umister). She is such an amazing person and that skit brought us so much closer together than we were before. We are the friends we are today because of that amazing experience. Not only did we have an amazing time and look great, but Renee won Best in Show for her skit which was so well deserved. Both skits were shining moments in my time line of cosplay hah.

9. And your least?
World Cosplay Summit 2008. End of story. Between the trip to the hospital with my partner because she was having heart palpitations from an energy drink she had to the not eating or sleeping for 48 hours and having the stomach flu the week before it was the worst weekend of my life. Hah, it was just one thing after another!

10. What is the last event at which you cosplayed, and what did you cosplay?
The last time I cosplayed was at Dragon*Con 2009. I cosplayed Aleera from Van Helsing, Victoria from the movie Stardust, Baroness from G.I. Joe, Power Girl from the Adam Hughes Women of DC art, Aqua Girl from Justice League Unlimited, and Wash from Firefly. It was an amazing convention filled with so many costume. Dragon*con is by far my favorite convention.

11. What is the next event at which you plan to cosplay?
I will be cosplaying again at a small convention in New Hampshire called Another Anime Convention. I am making Subaru from .hack//SIGN, Tatiana from Last Exile, and Kotoko from Chobits. I will also be representing Anime Boston there so if anyone is planning on going they should come by the table and register while it’s cheap!

12 What do you have in the works for upcoming conventions or events?
I am trying to have one more year of intense costuming before I devote myself entirely to staffing and industry work with FUNimation. Working for FUNimation is completely amazing and I meet the greatest people through it, but I am not done being a devoted cosplayer so 2010 will be an intense year. I really want to make pretty much every costume from Lineage II and Shuunya Yamashita’s work hah. I also want to cosplay from Persona 4 which is one of the best SMT games ever. I hope to working more intently on prop work as well as that is a lacking part of my cosplay repertoire right now.
That was Lindsay, and here is one final parting photo of her in cosplay.

1. What is your name, and where do you hail from?
Meredith and I’m a recent transplant to Atlanta, GA!

2. Tell us a little about yourself. Do you have any interesting hobbies outside of
cosplay?
*laughs* Not any more it seems! Really, I’m just a big nerd. I like reading my
comics and playing video games. I plan on getting back into horse back riding
(hunter / jumper) now that I have friends with horses about 40 minutes south from
me. I’m also going to start swing and bellydance lessons in the next month.

3. How long have you been cosplaying?
I began cosplaying in 1999, but didn’t start making my own costumes til 2000 — when
I made Garnet / Dagger from Final Fantasy IX. My very first costume, and I started
working with spandex. ;D

4. What initially drew you to cosplay?
I’ve always been into dressing up, from Halloween to Ren Faires to just being a
crazy kid who liked going to goth clubs. The idea of dressing up as my favorite
anime characters just sounded so cool!

5. What was the first character that you cosplayed?
Luna, from Lunar. The costume was created by Jasper’s Cosplay Closet.

6. What is your favorite thing about cosplay?
I love plotting and designing my costumes — picking out the fabrics, drafting the
patterns, the whole process of getting it all together. Then, when it’s all done,
putting it on and wearing it for the first time at a con, it’s so exhilarating!

7. What is your least favorite thing?
The sewing. *laughs* I’m lazy, and can’t sew a straight stitch to save my life. But
I plow through, because the end result is always worth it.

8. What was your most enjoyable cosplay experience?
Anime Weekend Atlanta 2008. Pretty much that whole weekend rocked. It was the first
time in god knows how long I actually cosplayed with a group / duet. My friend Mia
and I did Maria-sama ga Miteru costumes and also Velvet and Alice from Odin Sphere
(and found an awesome group to take pictures with!). Cosplaying with friends is the
best!

9. And your least?
Going through a period in my younger years when I was just a bitch. Honestly, I was
just rude and catty (and subsequently insecure). It made it so I never really
enjoyed going to cons, only concerned about how I looked and if my costume was “good
enough.” I took a two year period off from cosplaying, and I think it did a world of
good for me. I grew a lot in that time, and when I came back to the con scene, a lot
had changed, most of all, my attitude.

10. What is the last event at which you cosplayed, and what did you cosplay?
Anime Weekend Atlanta. Ironically, I didn’t wear a single anime costume. I brought
my Steampunk Slave Leia, and wore two other steampunk outfits, and an original
Gothic Lolita outfit that my friend Caitlin designed and we both made matching
ensembles.

11. What is the next event at which you plan to cosplay?
Realms Con. I’m bringing two of my steampunk pieces, Slave Leia, and Zero Suit Samus.

12. What do you have in the works for upcoming conventions or events?
Oh! So many exciting things! I plan on finishing my Rosa (Final Fantasy IV) and C.C.
for Anime South and Ikkicon. Also, a few new steampunk designs. And finally, I have
an excuse to do a long time dream costume of mine — Royko from Tenchi Muyo! I’m
actually going to do a few of her outfits as it’s always been the wig that’s put me
off from doing her. Now that I’m a bit better with hair pieces (and have some
amazing wig styling friends!) I’m going to tackle her.