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Firstly, thank you for agreeing to do this interview for Silver Star! If you'll start by telling us who you are. Real name or online alias is fine. :]
Seraphim Cry [Carrie White IRL]

1. How long would you say you've been cosplaying, at a guess?
It’s been almost 5 years now I’d say.

2. What was it that made you interested in cosplay? Was it an outside influence, like friends? Or a natural course that occoured as you grew up?
I’d always had an interest in costume from before I started cosplaying. I have costume books from about 2000 when I wanted to be a costume designer! I also remember watching Disney films and such and wanting to have all the outfits, I remember wanting Thumbelina’s dress and Anastasia’s ball gown and now I have both! I believe the cosplay bug caught on when I wore my second cosplay to a con and saw all the other cosplayers there.

3. What do you find you cosplay from mostly? Games? Anime? Manga? Disney? Do you crossplay? If so, who?
Until now I’ve done a lot of anime cosplay but I’ve recently got back into Disney and more classic games and animations rather than anime so expect to see more of those kind from me in the future. I went through a Naruto phase and currently have 5 costumes from the anime. I also love to cosplay from Resident Evil and have quite a few more from the series on the way. I have crossplayed but its not something I would chose to do anymore unless I really loved the character and thought it would suit me (young male characters are a personal fave), I have a lot more confidence than I used to and I think crossplaying was just a way for me to hide behind my insecurities.

4. What are your favourite costumes to do? Colourful ones? Really complicated ones? And why?
I’m up for anything really when it comes to costumes although I do have to think realistically about whether I have the skills, body type, time and money to do a certain costume. I’m quite partial to characters that don’t get enough love, Ruby from FFIX was one that I thoroughly enjoyed because I was recognised and people were so excited to see a character that they’ve never seen before. Mostly I go for characters that I look like or share my personality, I have to be able to pull of the costume as well as make it.

5. Do you like to cosplay alone, or like to be involved in groups? Or both?
I think groups are much more fun. They can be quite a hassle to put together but its so much more rewarding. Plus when its time for photos and posing its much easier to think of ideas when you’ve got other cosplayers from the same series.

6. Do you have any dream cosplays or groups you'd like to do?
There are so many! My problem is that I’ll think of a dream cosplay and a few months down the line I’ll do it! So its always changing. I’m working on a dream costume at the moment in fact! I always love getting groups together from obscure series, groups that should be done but don’t!

7. What would you say was the best thing about cosplaying, personally? And what would be your best experience to date?
The best thing about cosplaying is the compliments and the photographs. When you think that you’ve worked as hard as you can and spent a lot of time and money on your costume and then you take it along to a con or event and have people coming up to you and telling you your costume is amazing, or you’ll hear someone squee from across the room "WOW Look over there! It’s………!", it just makes you feel so proud. With regards to photos, well before I started cosplaying I hated being photographed, I felt so self conscious, now I love it! Getting to do a bunch of poses, getting into character, messing about with poses with other characters! Its just the most fun I ever have!

8. I know most people hate to do this, but out of the cosplays you've done, which ... three, say, are your favourites and why?
Yes you’re right I do hate to do this. I suppose the best way to judge is which costumes I had the most fun in, the most comfortable and entertaining. In no particular order:

Firstly Jill Valentine from Resident Evil 3 Nemesis basically because this was HUGE amounts of fun. I used special effects make up with this costume just to give it a bit more "in your face". I created a few deep cuts with fake blood and such and the reactions I got from people were fantastic! I had people pointing at the cuts as I walked past them and saying "OW! That looks like it hurts!"

Secondly I’d say Ruby from Final Fantasy IX (as mentioned before). Ever since I played the game and saw the artwork of her I just loved her! She’s so sassy and fun and of course a minor character that just doesn’t get enough love! I loved prancing around in this and the best part was people actually recognising her! My bf cosplayed as Blank and we managed to sort out a FFIX group – BEST COSPLAY GROUP EVER!

And last but not least Karin Kanzaki from Street Fighter. The costume didn’t quite come together as planned, the curls in the wig fell out and the pleats in the skirt didn’t look the same after I’d sewn them but I really love it anyway. It was another minor character cosplay (my specialty) and it was also a simple one, its not big and fancy, its not complicated but despite that it got picked for the Costume Showcase on Cosplay.com making me the first person in the UK to have a coscom showcase. That is why I’m proud of this costume, it just goes to show that you don’t need to pick the most extravagant and detailed costume to get noticed!

9. For anyone looking to enter into the cosplay scene, what advice would you give?
First of all please please don’t buy your cosplays from eBay, its quite offensive to the people who have taken the time to make theirs from scratch!

My advice is to start small and simple. Pick something that suits your body type and possibly even your hair type when you’re starting out as wigs can be a pain to style if you don’t know how. Take advantage of cosplays that won’t need much sewing (please avoid Death Note though), look up clothing on eBay and see if you can find something similar that maybe just needs adjusting. My Jill Valentine costume is made completely from clothes I found on eBay and my harness was from an army surplus site. If you already have some sewing skills then you could use patterns.

Do your research, take your time with it, don’t leave it to the last minute, set up an account on Cosplay.com and CosplayIsland.co.uk and away you go. And remember it’s supposed to be fun! If it’s not fun then you’re in the wrong hobby!

Cosplayer Photos