Cosplay is one of the biggest aspects in not only the anime culture, but the geek culture overall. This week on Geekery Gears, we have a pretty special component being added to the blog. Do you remember what it is? Of course you don’t, baka!
A podcast! This weekend I got to interview a beautiful local cosplayer, Becca Davila, and you can listen to the entire thing on Black Moor Productions (which you better do). But as we all know, the book is different than the magazine so without further ado, I will be telling you guys just what about cosplay is special and how Becca’s experience proves it.
For about three years now, Vegas conventions have been seeing Becca show her talent as a cosplayer for hours on end; and she’s popular, let me tell you. The last convention we went to, I remember her walking around greeting people she’d met before and being recognized all over the place as “the Juvia cosplayer” (a certain Gray cosplayer was involved in there somewhere I think).
I’ve seen her in action, and it really is incredible. Becca gets into character, playing a perfect Juvia role, and really does bring others into that Fairy Tail fantasy (bad pun). “Of course I still act like myself, but if someone’s talking to me or I talk to someone new, I’m always acting like Juvia…” Becca stated.
Her main cosplay has been Juvia, but she’s also planning to cosplay Diane from The Seven Deadly Sins and Ruby from RWBY. With each of these characters, Becca has identified part of herself. The preparation, time and care Becca has put into these cosplays has paid off well.
Any convention I’ve ever seen her at, I’ve never seen her receive a negative reaction. I can’t count how many times we lost her in a crowd because she’d been stopped to take a photo with someone. But it isn’t all just hard work and applause.
Getting into some of the negative sides of cosplay, Becca described a lot of the experiences she’d had while dressed up. “There are always the few select who are like, ‘Oh, you don’t fit the body type… Or the skin color… Or the gender of this character…’,” Becca said.
However, Becca still has her supporters that encourage her. ” Usually I get a lot of acceptance, especially being a plus-sized person.”
Becca described what it’s like when you don’t see your size, ethnicity or even gender being reflected in the cosplay community. To think that cosplay is only meant for a certain group of people is extremely ridiculous. When you think like that, you limit the countless possibilities for different cosplays as well as diversity in people who experience it.
Becca’s hopes for her cosplay career leads toward more recognition in the community, which I think makes her an inspiration to a community who really needs diversity in cosplayers.
“Don’t let anyone discourage you.” Becca stated. “Find those friends and that community that supports you and you have fun with and always just be yourself.” Her advice to future cosplayers speaks volumes as to what we should all keep in mind and also keep working towards for an anime community. Ms. Davila truly is the cosplay inspiration this generation needs.
But there’s so much more! Listen to the podcast one YouTube, Soundcloud or Itunes! (Note: Itunes is being a butt so it may take a while for this link to work. I will update it when it stops wigging out.)
You can find Becca at:
Tumblr:
http://beccaboopsyournose.tumblr.com/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/beccaboopsyou/
The next convention Becca will be at is Lvl Up Expo in Las Vegas! Sneak peak, I may also be there doing some coverage so you may want to show up. It’ll be a trip.
What about you? Have a cosplay experience you want to talk about? Have any advice? N-not that I care, but post it in the comment section below!
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