This is one of those cosplayers that need very little introduction! I met Carley at Wizard World Chicago, 2016. She was cosplaying as Moxii from Borderlands and it was one of the best Moxxi’s I had ever seen. She was on my must interview her radar ever since and I am so stoked to say, today is the day is here! I am super excited to introduce you, to the one and only….Carley Quinn!
What was it that got you interested in cosplay?
I first saw Cosplay on tumblr when I was around 14 or 15and I was pretty much instantly enamored with the idea. Halloween has always been my favorite holiday and the idea of being able to dress up any time of year as my favorite characters seemed absolutely amazing. But since I grew up in Arkansas I didn’t really have an opportunity to try it out until many years later when I moved to Minnesota.
It would be a fair assessment that you are a Harley Quinn fan. What is it about her character you love most and what was the first Harley Quinn verison you cosplayed?
I love Harley’s resilience and happy go lucky attitude. She’s gone through some shit and she’s not afraid to talk about it but she also doesn’t let it bring her down at all. My first version of Harley I cosplayed was her bombshell version from the D.C. Bombshells line.
What is something you enjoy doing when you are not cospalying?
I play a lot of video games, watch tv, read comics when I can but I also love singing and dancing (not saying I’m great at either but I love them anyway haha)
What would you say that cosplaying has changed about you as a person?
I would say cosplay has changed how introverted I can be and has also helped me deal with a lot of shyness and confidence issues. It’s much easier to gain confidence in yourself and be more extroverted when you look like your favorite characters!
If you could cosplay with anyone in a partner cosplay shoot, who would it be?
Oh gosh there’s so many people I want to do shoots with, but I’d definitely like to do an MJ/Spiderman shoot with @spider_matt on insta! And I’d love to do a khal drogo cosplay to do a shoot with @idapod daenerys!
What have you learned about yourself since you began cosplaying?
I’ve learned that I’m absolutely a horrible procrastinator haha but I’ve also learned how to keep myself motivated in all types of work from working so hard on cosplay
What is your advice to those just getting into cosplay?
My advice for anybody starting off cosplaying is to just go for it. Your first try doesn’t have to look perfect, it doesn’t have to be handmade. All it has to be is a costume you’re wearing. Have fun, enjoy yourself, and love every second of becoming your favorite characters because that’s really what this is all about.
Where can we find you online?
You can find me @carleyquinn on instagram, @carleyquinn324 on twitter, carleyquinncosplay on twitch, and Carley Quinn on Facebook!
