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Before San Diego: Chaka The Cosplayer

Bleeding Cool's Senior Cosplay Correspondent Endymion Mageto talked to cosplayer Chaka;

I'm 26 years old, and I've pretty much been a giant nerd since day one! I've always loved animation, probably because the storytelling has no physical bounds or limitations, so I took to comics and cartoons like a fish to water. When I'm not cosplaying, I'm usually reading comics, watching cartoons, mixing cocktails, going to drag queen shows or watching makeup tutorials. Because, you know, all of those activities make sense together.

How long have you been going to SDCC?

This is actually only my second year at SDCC! After SDCC 2011, I decided I was tired of sitting at home and obsessively reading about all of the shenanigans in San Diego – I wanted to be a part of it all! So I recruited a group of friends last year and finally made the trip. I almost immediately wished that I hadn't, though, because of course I fell in love with it, and now I have to find a way to afford this nonsense every year!

What was your first time at SDCC like?

My first year was hectic, confusing, and amazing. I'm a huge planner, so I spent weeks reading all the blogs, creating lists on Twitter of people to follow, putting together an itinerary packed full of panels during the day and events at night – but the second I got to the con, just about all of that went out the window. SDCC is like a multi-fandom nerd tidal wave of epic proportions, and it's so easy to get swept away. I was lucky in that I was invited to join the Superhero Disney Princesses cosplay group, where I made great group of friends that helped make the trip a lot less daunting – I'm even rooming with a couple of the girls this year!

If you could change one thing about SDCC what would it be?

My friends are going to roll their eyes reading this because I say it all the time, but the barrier of entry is entirely too high for this convention. Getting there is like a part time job, the first time you try to go. You'll see well meaning people on the official Comic Con Facebook page all year round, asking questions about "buying tickets from Ticketmaster" and the like, and you feel really bad for them. SDCC is this giant, mega-publicized event that's almost crossed over into the mainstream, but even for the most seasoned con-goers I know – it's a hassle to get into. Registering for passes is a nightmare unless you already have a pass from the year before (and even then, sometimes it's still a nightmare), the hotel lottery system is a complete crap shoot, and you seriously have to dedicate almost half a year to obsessively watching for updates and hitting deadlines to make it in that first year. There's a reason why it takes people many years to hit this con for the first time – it's just so hard to get in, sometimes it's just easier to save yourself he stress and go to NYCC, Dragon*Con or one of the other heavy hitters.

What makes SDCC different from other conventions?

All of the Hollywood presence, TV shoes and celebrity sightings can make you feel like you're inside a living press release for four days. If you're used to comic or anime conventions where it's held at a cozy hotel and everyone leaves with new best friends on Sunday morning, it can be kind of a culture shock to attend such an industry machine of a convention!

What is your best memory from SDCC?

One of my favorite memories has to be when I was walking across the street in my Storm cosplay, and recognized Claudio Sanchez – the lead singer from one of my favorite bands, Coheed and Cambria – in front of me. I was completely starstruck, but somehow managed to get up the nerve to ask him for a picture and tell him how much I loved his music. I'm so glad I did, because he was so cool about it, and totally made my weekend!

Apart from cosplay what do you look forward to most at SDCC?

I love the energy. I love turning a corner and not knowing who or what I'll see next. I love the fact that it being such a huge con means running into someone you know is ten times more exciting than it would be at a smaller convention. I love the way the entire city of San Diego transforms into a nerd utopia for the weekend, and everyone is celebrating. The atmosphere is addictive and electrifying – there's a reason why we jump through so many hoops to keep going back year after year.

What costume are you working on for SDCC this year?

I'll have a whole cocktail of costumes all weekend long – but my newest one that will debut at the con is a Marvel Now Storm – mowhawk and all! Mohawk Storm has been one of my favorite designs for the longest time – I'm equal parts excited and scared about trying to pull it off!

How long have you been cosplaying?

I first started cosplaying at A-Kon 2008. My very first costume was Misa Amane from the Deathnote manga. I'd wanted to try cosplaying and going to cons for years – and from the moment I walked through the door, I was hooked. It's been five years, countless cons and costumes, and more hot glue burns than I'd care to admit to, but I've never looked back. I love how this hobby keeps my brain engaged and coming up with creative ways to work around different problems.

Which costume are you most proud of?

This answer will likely change from year to year, but as of right now – my Queen Akasha from Queen of the Damned, and my Princess Tiana from The Princess and the Frog are the costumes I take the most pride in. I'd never sewn anything before attempting Tiana, and Akasha was so many tiny details, there were some very dark moments when I didn't know if I'd be able to finish her. Both were months and months of work, and while I can still see things I'd like to improve (I'm a hopeless perfectionist),   am so unbelievably proud that I actually managed to see each costume through to the end.

How do you decide on which costumes you'll work on next? Is it by the level of challenge? Your own feelings about the character?

It's honestly a little of both. First and foremost, I only cosplay characters I love. People approach me all the time about cosplaying characters to fill out a group, and I try to politely decline anything I'm not in love with. Cosplay is so much work, I wouldn't put myself through the time, energy and money spent unless it was for a character I really loved. Second, of course, is the level of difficulty. There are certain characters and costumes – like Yukari from Paradise Kiss or Pepper Potts' Rescue Armor – that have been on my to-do list for years, but I'm working on smaller projects and building my skills up to the point where I feel like I can confidently take those challenges on and produce a end product that I can be proud to wear.

What are the most difficult parts of making or wearing your costumes? 

The most difficult part has to be that awkward moment where you realize that you can either have something look good in pictures or feel comfortable to wear. Very rarely do you ever get both.

What is the hardest part thing about cosplay?

The hardest thing for me is probably the cost involved. Make no mistake – this is an expensive hobby, and you're going to want to make everything, but it's just not feasible all the time. In my earlier cosplay years, I would try to stretch my dollars as thin as they could go and cut corners with a lot of costumes, because I was trying to do too much with too little money. I've since calmed down and realized that it's so much better to just make a few really good costumes a year rather than a dozen mediocre costumes that you don't want to or can't wear again without either repairing or overhauling the entire thing.

What Advice would you have for anyone cosplaying for the first time at SDCC?

Take it easy! This is not the con to be trying to run back to your hotel every five seconds to change for a different shoot, unless you're right next door (and even then…). It's going to be crowded and stressful, so don't feel bad if you need to take the costume off and don some civilian clothes in order to get to a panel or an exclusive sale. Sometimes people forget that we're not paid actors or part of the scenery, we're fans who paid the same amount of money and jumped through the same amount of hoops to get here. So make sure you aren't just trapped in a loop of posing for pictures – enjoy your con!

What is the cosplay scene at SDCC like?

I felt a lot more solidarity amongst the cosplayers at SDCC. Everyone was willing to help each other with repairs, removing parts of costumes so you could sit down, hiding places so you could have a break from the crowds, etc. Like I said – it's a stressful con to cosplay at – so it was good to see the cosplayers kind of banding together.

Do you have a website of fan page where people can see more of your work?

You can follow my work at www.facebook.com/PrincessMentalityCosplay and on Twitter as well: https://twitter.com/princessology

Photographer credit to Hell or High Water Photography

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