Cosplay Corner Episode #15: Vash Fanatic

Vash Fanatic is one of the youngest cosplayers we’ve featured thus far but her talent is one of the most inspiring. When not hard at work on the cosplay scene she is enrolled as a Graphic Designer, and has many interests; such as cosplay, programming, drawing, and writing. We sat down with her to pick her brain on her costume making, the process, and future projects. Read below for the full interview…

You’ve been cosplaying for a few years now, so overall through the progression of this craft, what is the single most valuable lesson you have learned about cosplaying?

Vash Fanatic: There are many things I have learned about cosplay: don’t procrastinate, needles hurt and fiberglass resin kills brain cells. But, aside from those lessons, I would have to say the most valuable lesson I have learned is hard work pays off. I know hard work payed off already (for example: school projects and problems in life); but this is a whole different level. I see professionals making costumes all the time and wonder how I would make them without the expensive materials the professionals have access to. But, by researching and putting a great amount of effort into the cosplay, it makes you realize that hard work is all it really takes.

You profile each costume with a difficulty meter from 1 to 5. What is an example of a 5, and what difficulties does it entail?

Vash Fanatic: An example of a 5, at this point in time, would have to be Female Arthas. That costume is about 90% armor! I have never made a costume with armor before Arthas. Since this was my first time making armor, I had to research ways that I could make the armor and be able to afford it. There are so many ways to do it! Finally, I decided to use the fiberglass method, which takes a lot of time and patience. I would get frustrated when there was a bubble, that created more work and time lost. So a 5 entails countless hours of work and the complexity in design.

Since you enjoy looking at the results of your hard work putting a costume together, do you usually stray away from easy characters?

Vash Fanatic: No way! The characters I choose to cosplay are ones that I take interest in, difficult or not. I’m not the type of cosplayer who chooses characters based on how much attention it’s going to get me. While I do enjoy doing characters that require a lot of detail, it is not a decision maker.

Tell us about Blizzcon and your first entry into a huge contest. What was it like?

Vash Fanatic: Overwhelming. I had no idea how mind blowing it was going to be. I didn’t know what to expect from the convention. At first, I thought I would be surrounded by awkward nerds, like at Anime Expo. Upon arrival, my opinion had changed. There were people of all ages and they all seemed pretty normal. Well, aside from people shouting “FOR THE HORDE” or “FOR THE ALLIANCE” at each other (Light be with you).

Getting to the contest now, I was surrounded by incredibly talented cosplayers. As I was looking around backstage, I just could not believe what I was seeing. So much talent gathered all together! It was overwhelming and exciting! I got to meet and talk to a lot of the cosplayers. I complimented them on their work and asked some of them how they made some of the things they had. We all were pretty nervous about walking across stage. I kept asking people what I should do, how long I should stay up on stage, have they ever been in this competition? Just anything to keep me distracted from being so nervous. But, when the time came, all the twisted feelings I felt in my stomach disappeared and I made my way across stage. I did get a bit of a reaction from the audience, which was encouraging, and overall, a great feeling. Blizzcon was great and has now become on of my favorite conventions! Hopefully I can make it every year! So many wonderful people and talented cosplayers.

Does cosplaying help with your overall skills in the art world? How has this hobby been applied to make your art courses easier?

Vash Fanatic: Cosplaying has helped me in the art world. What I have learned in my art classes is that: your work must stand out. It is important to use different mediums in your works. For example: I did an illustration of Bloody Mary for one of my classes. I found myself thinking of various materials I could use to make it stand out and look creepy. A cosplay I had just done before this involved mirrors. That was my answer! I went to the same place I had bought the mirror like material and used it on my illustration project. It turned out really well and was a big hit with the class. My professor even asked me how I would think of applying something like that to my project; my answer: Cosplay!

We know you’re a big fan of anime, could you give us a few of your favorites?

Vash Fanatic: If you can’t tell what my all time favorite anime is already…it’s Trigun. Trigun is the most amazing anime EVER! Other ones I really love are Durarara, Saiyuki, Kimi Ni Todoke, Panty and Stocking, Ao No Exorcist..the list goes on!

You have a very slim figure, does this mean you are limited to cosplaying characters that fit your body type? What are your views on this matter?

Vash Fanatic: This is always a touchy subject matter with many people. I apologize to anyone who may not like my answer. Body type on a character is something I always think about last. I admit that I sometimes find myself thinking I can pull off a character based on body type, but that’s a rare case.

People should choose their cosplays carefully, keeping their body type in mind. I’m not saying that a larger girl shouldn’t cosplay as Yoko, for example. If you love the character, do it! But, just be prepared for some negative comments you might receive. The cosplayer community judges based on costume quality, not how skinny you are. However, it hard to say what the general public judges by. I have noticed though, that they seem to judge mostly on looks.

When tackling a World of Warcraft costume, what is your mindset like? It must be daunting having to build armor, aesthetics, AND a weapon…?

Vash Fanatic: It looks like a huge wall to climb. I try to break everything down and plan it out carefully. For the costume, I work in layers. I break down every part of the costume and figure out what layer should have what on it, how it’s going to attach to other pieces, etc. It can be a bit challenging at times because, every time you think something is going to work out for sure and it doesn’t, things seem too get a bit discouraging. Same goes for the weapon and everything else. I just have to force myself to plan everything carefully.

Everytime I ask this, mums the word…but we’re begging you…could you tell us some of your future plans for costumes for upcoming cons?

Vash Fanatic: I don’t want to announce any of my big ideas just yet. I’m not even sure if they are going to happen. But, a few to list: Legolas from Lord of the Rings, Rider from Fate Stay Night, and I’m hoping Sylvanas from Castle Age. Excited for 2012!

Fair enough. Lastly, any advice for new cosplayers?

Vash Fanatic: There will always be cosplayers who are better than you! There is no need to be discouraged by them; use them as inspiration. I have noticed that cosplayers get so caught up on being better than someone else. They end up focusing on being the best that they don’t really enjoy wearing their cosplay. Cosplay should be all about fun! After all, it is a hobby. Just do your best and enjoy your cosplay! This is all for fun!

Want to keep tabs on all her cosplay projects and designs? Follow her cookie crumb trail below:

http://vashfanatic.net/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vash-Fanatic-Cosplay/235721176443704/
http://vash-fanatic.deviantart.com/
http://www.cosplay.com/member/34207/