Cosplay Emergency Kit

So as you should already know it is cosplay season pretty much all year round. Cons have become more and more popular. With smaller Cons sweeping across towns and smaller cities all over the UK. Which is great as it gives a lot more people the opportunity to see what Cons are all about. But because there are so many now, your cosplays are going to get a lot of wear and tear.

The one thing I think all Cosplayers worry about is if the costume is going to hold together throughout the day. The last Convention I went to everyone in our group had at least one malfunction while walking round. Some more disastrous then others. So this blog is going to be about preparation.

Depending on your cosplay essentials may vary so this is just an outline of what you will need with you. The last thing you want it to be taking a lot of stuff with you. You don't want things to be getting in the way or carrying round big heavy bags with you all day. Some cons do have cloakrooms but it is best not to assume these things. We were lucky at our last con that one of us was an Attack on Titan character and so bought a canvas rack sack to blend into her cosplay ( if you are able to do something like that then go for it you can be a lot more prepared for things). If you aren't fortunate to be in that situation then this should help.

You can buy small pouches at walking shops that will clip to a belt or pieces of clothing. These are perfect as you can either hide them under your clothes or modify them to blend into your costume. They will hold more than you think.

List of Essentials:

• Sewing thread 
• Needle
• Safety Pins
• Super glue ( Just a small tube obviously)
• Clear Nail Vanish ( This sounds stupid but if your wearing tights and you get a ladder this will be your gods send. Just cover the ladder and a small surrounding area with the varnish and it will stop the ladder from getting longer throughout the day.)
• Spare buttons ( Always a useful thing to have if you have buttons on your cosplay you know how they like to pop off at the most inconvenient times.)
• Nail scissors ( they are small and perfect for cutting thread and loose strands on your cosplay.)
• Batteries
• Hair grips ( For your wigs they can tend to come loose and start been a hindrance)  
• Small face paint or makeup stash 

Other things you may want to think about is a small First Aid Kit. Just plasters mainly but anything you think you will possible need. Although all Conventions have first aiders on site and should be easy enough to find. Always make sure you look at a map of the floor plan the First Aiders should be on there.

I know this blog will seem very obvious to most of you but it is amazing how many people you see pissed off because their costumes have broken or malfunctioned in some way. I for one will certainly make sure this essentials kit is on my person at all times. Anyway I will be back some with more helpful tips, how to make and other rants soon. But until then stay Geeky everyone.

Jess xx





  

Been a Plus sized Cosplayer

Tell me when you think of a cosplayer what is the first thing you think of? I would hope it would be something along the lines of  ''oh well they are a group of people meeting new people while dressed up as their most beloved characters.'' Unfortunately though this isn't the case. I'm not saying all people are like the people I am going to describe, but I have met people like this and quite frankly it pisses me right off.

Firstly you have the ones that think that cosplay is just fancy dress. It isn't it is so much more than that. For cosplayers like myself it is a chance to be someone different to take on the persona of a beloved character and bring them to life. Not only that but some cosplay to give something back to the community. For example all the ones that cosplay as children's favourite super heros and visit sick kids in hospitals around the country just to give the kids something to remember during hard times. Or what about the ones that are asked to attend children's parties dressed up to give that kid a party they will remember for the rest of their lives. There is also the people that when you say you are making a cosplay they assume it is for Halloween. People don't just dress up on Halloween. There are plenty of other reasons to and conventions is one of them.

Then you get the guys, that know about cosplay but think it is just a way to see beautiful women in very revealing clothing. Or if you ask people they might be able to tell you some names of female cosplayers but never the men. There are some amazing male cosplayers out there people if you just bothered to look, one of them is Anthony Misiano (if you haven't heard of him look him up), one of the best Joker cosplays I have ever seen, with his flawless make up and evil grin he really knows how to bring the character of the Joker into the real world.

But getting to the point of this Blog. It is people who think you have to be what is deemed as a healthy weight to cosplay, and that if a 'fat' person is going to cosplay they should only do bigger characters. Now although there are some bigger characters out there. Why should larger people be told that they can only play certain characters. We have just as much reason to cosplay what ever we want as you do! Like this year I'm cosplaying Poison Ivy, am I skinny enough for it. No I'm not is that going to stop me hell no! I have loved batman for years and years and I don't see why I can't be Poison Ivy if I want to be.  Granted I am putting my own spin on the character so I feel more comfortable but that is my choice. It has nothing to do with what anyone else thinks.

Plus sized cosplayer are becoming more and more known and famous for there costumes and I think that is brilliant. Before anyone thinks that I am bashing skinny people I aren't. Most of them look fantastic. What I am getting at is that no one that cosplays deserves to be told what they can and can not wear. If a thinner person said they wanted to cosplay as Ursula from the little mermaid and someone came up to them and said you can't do that your far to thin. Well screw you anyone can do what ever they want and I'm fed up of people that have never even tried cosplay. thinking that they have an outsiders opinion.

Anyway I have loads more I could say on the subject but I think for now I have made my point. So i will see you all very soon.

 Stay geeky!
Jess x

Decisions Decisions!

I am sure you all have the same problems as me when thinking of new ideas for Cosplays. There are just to many awesome characters out there to pick from. Last year I decided to make up a Cosplay. Valkyries are used a lot throughout games and Anime so I wanted to take things from some of my favourites and make up my own version.

This year I had so many ideas on what I wanted to do and just couldn't make my mind up. I mean come on if I could be all of my favourite characters at once I would totally do that would you?
Obviously it would have some serious downsides. After doing that what possibly could you Cosplay after that, also the chances of people knowing all of the characters you picked and not making it look tacky would be a mean feet.

But the one thing I love more than anything about the Cosplay world is that you can take your favourite characters and put your own take on them. Every year you see someone as a character you love but you see them in a completely different light to what you have been looking at in comics, on TV or Videogames over the years.

Taking this into consideration I decided that this year I was to make a Poison Ivy costume. Been a plus sized Cosplayer I always thought that I would never get away with Cosplaying her. I have never been comfortable in my own skin, and always feel like I'm been judged. With that in mind I have come to terms with everyone everyday is been judged by strangers and who cares. I am me and if I want to dress as Poison Ivy I bloody well will. I will make her my own.

I wanted to make it recognisable as Poison Ivy but also make it so I am comfortable wearing it in a room full of hundreds of people. As I am still new to this, I am still anxious about people but I am sure that will go with time. Poison Ivy doesn't care what people think of her so if I am to Cosplay her I shouldn't either right?

So for now that is the only Cosplay I have devoted my attention to but I'm sure I will make another one before the year is through. I will be posting up the updates of the costume and post up pictures and instructions of how I have made it. But for now I will bid farewell.

Let me know how you decide on what you want to Cosplay? and do you have as much trouble as I do?  Also let me know what you are Cosplaying this year I would love to know.

Take care and stay Geeky
Jess x