Cosplay Corner Episode #24: Echoing Artemis

Echo is a cosplayer who masquerades as a psychologist by day and although her studies mean that costuming has to play second fiddle, it has always been her sanity break and will be for years to come. Admittedly, one of the nicest personalities I’ve had the pleasure running into in a cosplayer, her interview has a lot of good insight and helpful tips that was just too good not to share with my readers. Below we talk about a variety of topics. Read below for the full Q&A…

Has your background in psychology helped you become a better cosplayer? Perhaps by better understanding what people expect and want to see?

Echo: You know, I’ve never thought of it that way! I’ve always cosplayed for myself, preferring to choose characters and series that I’m passionate about. That passion is what cosplay is about to me, so I’ve never really wanted to make concessions to gain fans or get more hits on Deviantart. I just pick a character I love and try my best to do them justice. I can’t recommend a better formula than that.

Of course, being a psychologist still colors the way I interact with the community. I can’t stop myself from analyzing people anymore than a CG artist can watch a movie in peace! I probably have a thousand pet theories about the cosplay community. I do tend to worry a lot as well – difficulties such as social anxiety, low self-esteem and eating disorders can be pretty common in cosplay. It’s not my place to interfere unless serious harm is imminent (a psychologist’s Prime Directive, if you will), but it can be difficult to simply sit on your hands sometimes.

About what percentage of your costumes do you alter yourself? What’s the biggest hardship you have had thus far tailoring your costume(s)?

Echo: The vast majority of my costumes I make myself. Generally speaking it’s one of my favourite parts about cosplay – how every costume challenges you to try new things, perfect new techniques, or research new ideas. Truth be told I’m not a naturally talented seamstress, which means I face a lot of hardships. There’s only so many times you can sew a sleeve on upside down before your ego takes a blow! I feel that by making each costume myself I’ve developed further and that’s something to be proud of. It also helps justify the hobby to confused relatives, which is handy.

My steampunk Captain’s outfit is actually the only exception to that rule. It was a whole new challenge to find clothes with the potential to be modified into something steampunk appropriate. And then came the wrist gun and the back plate; both were just made with scraps from a salvage store in Sydney: Reverse Garbage.

Using Reverse Garbage to find junk that claims useful, what kind of items do you seek out? What is probably the most valuable material you can find there?

Echo: Reverse Garbage is essentially a service that salvages items and materials that still have potential, despite being thrown away by others. I’ve bought a lot of foam core there, as well as lots of odds and ends – it’s very cheap, so you don’t need to be too discerning. When [I'm] putting the steampunk Captain together, I was mainly looking for scrap metals. My backplate was simply cardboard, fake leather, an old light fitting and some old electricity cords. I’m still not sure what went into the wrist gun! As for the most valuable, I vividly remember the day an alert went out that they had a big load of genuine leather offcuts in. You have to move fast, but it’s worth it.

Is Australia a healthy community for cosplay? Or do you feel it is plagued by large amounts of prejudice and judgment still?

Echo: I think that if you looked into any subculture in the world – not just cosplay communities, but also schools, workplaces, and even friendship groups – you’ll find prejudice and judgement. Sadly, it’s simply a part of human nature. The Australian cosplay community certainly has its fair share. It has drama, difficult people, and people who seem difficult but are actually just going through difficult times. Unfortunately it tends to be such people who are the most vocal, with the greatest online presence. This may be all the international community sees of Australia, and it’s grossly unrepresentative.

There are some absolutely amazing people here. Truly beautiful, both inside and out. It might be dedicating endless hours to maintaining a Deviantart group that keeps the whole of the Australian community together (GoldGlorfindel@DA). It might be making sure your friends always have a place to go, and looking after them with selfless grace (jkale@DA). It might be putting in the hard yards to pull conventions off without a hitch (too many to even name). It could even be kitting yourself out to attend charity events and bring happiness to those in dire need (Gotham’s Finest, the 501st Legion and countless others besides).

In the tradition of this, a friend and I are getting an organisation together that will use costuming to reach out to those in need. Tentatively called The Costume Society, we’ll be working in conjunction with charities like the Starlight Foundation and the Cancer Council, as well as independently. We have a few events lined up already, and we’re completely thrilled to be able to take a hobby we enjoy and use it to bring a little happiness to others. So like any community, there are two sides to the Australian cosplay scene. I’m lucky enough to be mainly involved in the happier side, and I’m very grateful for that.

Tell us a bit what it is like shooting at the University of Sydney and what makes it a good spot for cosplay?

Echo: USyd is an absolutely gorgeous location. It’s Australia’s oldest university and many of the buildings are beautiful sandstone, set in green grounds that bloom purple and red in the late spring. Its main quad is famed for looking like Hogwarts (thus our Harry Potter shoot there last year!) and is used quite frequently as a shoot backdrop.

The truly wonderful thing about USyd though, is its secrets. All cosplayers know the quad, but few know about the graffiti tunnel, the Arabian courtyard, the tiny rooms filled with books or the hallways lined with creepy bottles straight out of Professor Snape’s storeroom. There are gazebos and stained glass and Roman pillars, dungeons and ballrooms and enormous skylights. It’s one of Sydney’s most versatile locations, if you only know where to look.

Are you a fan of any Asian films of Anime? Which anime has inspired your cosplay the most?

Echo: Of course! Although I was pretty familiar with the Marvel comic verse from an early age, anime was my gateway into conventions. When I first sewed a costume back in 2003 I cosplayed Meroko from Full Moon wo Sagashite (it was predictably awful and in retrospect I’m not even sure why my mother let me out of the house!). I’ve always been a fan of the classics – FMA, Cowboy Bebop and a lot of the CLAMP titles, for example. I think the CLAMP artbooks must be inspiring for nearly any cosplayer, although they’re pretty intimidating costumes sometimes!

Lately I have to admit I’ve been more inspired by Western works. Though raised a Marvel girl I’ve recently discovered the DC verse and an undying love for the BatFam, which has influenced a lot of plans for upcoming costumes.

When portraying steampunk, what is the most valuable thing to keep in mind?

Echo: I think you could ask a thousand different people this and get a thousand different answers! For me, it’s developing a character. Unlike cosplay, you don’t have an awful lot of source material to work from – it’s all up to you! Knowing your character’s background and personality influences the outfit and really makes it cohesive. It’s a lot of fun, too – everyone who attended the shoot had a back story.

I also love to keep utility and historical accuracy in mind (as ludicrous as it seems to mention “historical accuracy” in the same sentence as “steampunk”). For example, I didn’t wear goggles because they’re steampunk, I wore them because an airship captain would need them. I kept things simple and practical, and I didn’t add any cogs that didn’t serve a purpose! I used the Victorian era for inspiration wherever I could, including colours (Victorian British Navy) and my sword (an 1800′s British Infantry replica). Steampunk is most definitely a combination of historical and science fiction – it’s important to give both aspects a good nod when putting an outfit together.

I love how you depict materia! How did you get that effect?

Echo: Gosh, the materia! So much time and it spent the whole con in a bag. They’re pretty simple though: clear plastic balls painted with glass paints and filled with cotton wool. Inside each there’s an LED taped to a single battery to give them a glow.

So, would you say attention to detail is a must when it comes to photoshoots?

Echo: Oh, yes! Well, maybe not a “must”, but I believe attention to detail has the ability to turn a great shot into an awe-inspiring one. I love seeing people use props and take the time to really set up their backgrounds.

Lastly, what advice can you give to a fellow cosplayer?

Echo: Remember why you started cosplaying. Whenever you feel caught up in the drama, or pressured into something, or when you find yourself being endlessly critical of your photos and your appearance. Just remember why you started in the first place – that original passion that drew you in – and try to grab hold of it again. Do what you love.

Finally, I have to take the opportunity to be a psychologist again for a moment. If you’re having a hard time of things, please seek help. It might be one of the difficulties I mentioned before, or perhaps depression. You might just be feeling a little overwhelmed and could use some support. There’s no too big or too small, we’re here to help. Sadly I’m uncertain about the US, but in Australia a quick chat with your GP will get Medicare to cover ten sessions with a psychologist. Take the first step – the benefits can be enormous.

And if you need them:
Australia – Lifeline - 13 11 14
US – Hopeline - 1-800-SUICIDE

If you want to follow Echo’s cosplay adventures or drop her a line, feel free to follow her cookie crumb trail below:

http://echoing-artemis.deviantart.com/
http://echoing-artemis.tumblr.com/
https://twitter.com/#!/echoingartemis/

Respective photography credits:
Icie – http://pireze.org/
Christie – http://sorceressmoonblader.deviantart.com/
Straw – http://houkiboshi.deviantart.com/
Icie – http://pireze.org/
David Teng – http://www.flickr.com/people/dtang/