Cover Photo: @neolynnphotography
Happy Fourth of July! As you watch fireworks and light sparklers, keep a lookout for this shining star. This photogenic content creator has been cosplaying for 8 years. Meet our first transgender Cosplayer of the Month; Twin Fools!
Fighting Dreamers Productions, a YouTube channel you are apart of, has a lot of content. How do you come up with ideas for videos?
Fighting Dreamers Productions is shared between our group of friends and we all have a hand in helping to create the content that goes up there. It can be hard from time to time to produce content because ideas don’t always flow easily! But I find that when we all put our heads together with our differing perspectives, skills and humor ideas just arise and take form (often in ways we don’t anticipate!).
How hard is it to cast cosplayers for your videos? Are they all friends? Or acquaintances from cons?
Most of the cosplayers in our videos are part of our cosplay group, however, we often do reach out to folks we run into at cons or in the local cosplay community to take part in our videos. We usually work backwards with casting, so we start with the characters we have access to and plan from there.
What is it like to be a cosplay guest at a convention?
Being a cosplay guest is always a huge honor and I’m so thankful we’ve had the opportunity to guest at so many cons and meet so many people over the years! It can be hard work– which I think is an aspect of it that can be missed– cosplay guests are essentially hired to make the experience of the con better for attendees and provide programming for the convention. Typically this means: running workshops, participating in panel discussions, judging or Emceeing the cosplay contest, autograph signing, etc. I really love being able to entertain and support people, and I feel like being a guest gives me lots of opportunities to do that!
Who are your favorite people to commission wigs and cosplays from?
I don’t commission a lot of my cosplays, but some of my favorite pieces have been commissions! My Axel wig was done by Faxen Cosplay who did an amazing job. And my Chat Noir bodysuit was EB Costumes, who lives close to me so we were able to do many in-person fittings which were really helpful!
Which of your cosplays is your favorite and why?
My favorite cosplay changes pretty often! Right now I would say my top 3 are: Fantasy Bakugou (Boku no Hero Academia), Kai (Beyblade) and Prompto (FFXV). In all of these cases, the work I did on these outfits included something new and challenging that I feel I accomplished in some way! With Bakugou it was the shoulder and wrist armor, with Kai it was the composite wig and with Prompto it was the dye/weathering on the clothing. I also like the way I look as the character 🙂
How do you prepare for a cosplay photoshoot?
Before a photoshoot, I try to look up character poses as well as artwork/scenes for inspiration on how to set up shots. I also make sure that all of my costume components are fixed up and good to go so I’m not struggling with a costume malfunction or missing parts the day of the shoot!
Are there any cosplay’s of yours you would redo? What would you change?
I would re-do (or fix up) almost all of my cosplays given the chance. I feel like cosplays are an eternal work in progress and there is always something I feel I can improve or do differently. One recent example of this is my Soren (Dragon Prince) cosplay. I didn’t think ahead enough about the armor construction and as a result, I feel it looks a little rough. I learned from that though, and I know that if I ever re-attempt to cosplay (or fix it up) I’ll be able to do a better job.
What have you learned about yourself since you started cosplaying?
I think that cosplay has revealed, for me, a self-confidence and self-assurance that has always been a struggle for me. Before cosplay, I had always found it difficult to make meaningful connections with people and I always assumed that because of my interests in “kids stuff” like anime and video games that there was something wrong with me. Cosplay opened my eyes and introduced me to so many folks like myself— which allowed me to learn that there wasn’t anything “wrong” with me and that is deserving of friendships that are affirming and authentic. Cosplay also allowed me to explore my gender identity, and through cosplay, I was able to come out as transgender in an environment that gave me space to do so in relative safety.
What is the next event we can expect to see you cosplay at?
My next scheduled event is AkaiCon in Tennessee this July! I’m excited to see everyone there!
Photo By: @amandaswansonphotography
What is your advice for those just getting into cosplay?
My advice to anyone starting cosplay is that there is no right or wrong way to participate in this hobby. It is what you make of it, and I would encourage you to find people and aspects of cosplay that are affirming and fun and to not worry about having to fit into what other people are doing with the hobby or who other people want or expect you to be. You are enough! You don’t have to prove anything to be a cosplayer!
Where can we find you online?
I’m mostly active on my social media: @twinfools (Instagram) @twinfoolz (Twitter). I’m also on YouTube with my group, Fighting Dreamers Productions. My Facebook, which is admittedly a little less active, is Twinfools Cosplay.