Posted in: Comics | Tagged: comic con, Comics, cosplay, san diego, sdcc, tinkerbell

Before San Diego: Melina The Cosplayer

Published Tue, 02 Jul 2013 09:00:26 -0500

Last updated Wed, 03 Jul 2013 05:05:50 -0500

Endymion Mageto talked to Melina…

My name is Melina and i'm from Rochester, NY but currently study in Sarasota, FL.

What was your first time at SDCC like?

My first time was last year and I didn't even have tickets! I was in LA and decided to drive down anyway on Saturday. It was still really fun and I hung out at the CNET Bay Station playing Tomb Raider. I believe this year is my official first year.

What makes SDCC different from other conventions?

I know there are a lot of conventions that are multi genre, however, SDCC seems to be more diverse than the others. It doesn't favorite one genre more than another and tries to keep each fan base happy. It's one of the conventions I know I will have fun at no matter what.

What is your best memory from SDCC?

The Frankenweenie house outside. I'm a huge Tim Burton fan so it was fun to be able to just see it.

What costume are you working on for SDCC this year?

I will be doing Rogue for Thursday, ME1 Liara for Friday, Alyx Vance with my lovely Gordon on Saturday, and possibly Tinkerbell for Sunday.

How long have you been cosplaying?

I think since 2008. My first con was New York Anime Festival, which is now NYCC. I was KH2 Kairi.

Why do you do cosplay or what inspires you to make costumes?

Most of it comes from characters I absolutely adore since childhood. There are always new characters coming out every year but the ones I love when I was young were always there.

How far in advance did you start planning/working on your costume?

I wish I started working on them sooner, but everything started to be planned out since the beginning of the year. When we got our tickets, we really decided from there but a lot of things have switched around. Rogue and Tinkerbell were last minute add ons.

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

Read those SDCC tips and memorize it. There are people and lines everywhere and you need to be cautious of both you and the other attendees. Also, read the weapon policy so you can plan ahead. You might even have to call them to double check. We ran into that problem with our Gordon because we were bringing a crowbar but instead we decided to use that for the shoot and bring a rubber one into the convention.

What do you wish other people knew about cosplayers and/or cosplay

That even the simplest cosplays take a lot of time, money, and energy to create. Cosplaying is like wearing a jersey and painting for face and body at a sports game. We are showcasing our favorite characters that we love and having fun doing it.

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

Yes! My fan page is Mieu Cosplay. https://www.facebook.com/MieuCosplay