Posted in: Comics, Recent Updates | Tagged: cosplay, entertainment, harley quinn, Kitty Krell, maleficent

'Totally A Sucker For Gorgeous Craftsmanship' – A Cosplay Interview With Kitty Krell

By Andrea "Yunie" McFall

Joining with Cosplay Blog with a Brain, this is our next cosplayer interview, featuring Kitty Krell! She's an extremely talented cosplayer from Colorado, who creates some amazing pieces!

[Kitty Krell out of costume]

Andrea McFall: What's your cosplay alias and why did you choose it?

Kitty Krell: I just used my name. It seemed easier. It used to be Jonetsu though, which is Japanese for "passion." It's also the name of my first D&D character.

AM: How many years have you been cosplaying and what got you started?

KK: I've been cosplaying since 2000. I was pretty lonely as a kid, and I got into anime as an escape. I discovered conventions, and it was truly magical. I didn't want to leave. I had a terrible closet costume for that first year.

[Kitty Krell as Harley Quinn from Batman, photo by WeNeals Photography and Retouching]

AM: What has been some of your favorite things to work with when constructing costumes and why?

KK: I love working with new things for every project, but I'm probably best known for hot glue as a texturing agent, and corsets. Recently I learned about casting rubber, on my Maleficent costume, and that was pretty awesome. I love learning new things, and I really love corsets; the techniques really make a huge difference making anything fitted. You can also use them to create a more anime or comic silhouette, and I like the challenge.

AM: What are you excited to be working with in the future and why?

KK: I think one of the next big costumes I'm planning is Stahma from Defiance. Her wardrobe is absolutely gorgeous, and I've loved watching her character grow into one of the scariest villains you still want to succeed. The makeup for that is going to be a challenge, since she's almost but not quite white. I think I'll also be doing a few fan designs, I keep being drawn to different Belle variants, we'll see if that happens.

AM: What are some of the traits you like to see in other costumes and who do you think does well in them?

KK: I love anything with a lot of detail, and I'm totally a sucker for gorgeous craftsmanship. There are too many amazing cosplayers to possibly list, but definitely Kamui Cosplay in Germany, Bellechere is pretty amazing, and Ifria here in Denver is probably one of the only people I would let touch my stuff. I'm crazy picky about that.

AM: What is your view of the "cosplay scene"?

KK: The cosplay "scene" I think it's mostly what people make of it. Yea, there have been some wide reaching problems with the "fake" geek girl thing. Mostly though, we're all a bunch of weirdos who dress up and have fun. It doesn't need to be more complicated than that.

AM: What are some of the things you want to see change in the scene?

KK: Slut-shaming. Definitely. Too many women are being treated as lesser for their choice of costume. Luckily we're already moving in that direction! And the Cosplay is Not Consent movement has just been so great. Nobody, man or woman, should be sexually harassed at a con.

[Kitty Krell as Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty, photo by WeNeals Photography and Retouching]

AM: What is some advice you could give people starting to get into cosplay?

KK: Be kind and have fun! Don't let anyone get you down or tell you you're doing it wrong. We're all nerds playing dress up.

AM: What are some of your favorite conventions you've attended and why?

KK: Dragoncon is probably my favorite, but Denver Comic Con and StarFest are tons of fun too! Dragoncon has just about the perfect convention setup, 4 hotels connected by sky bridges, with a mall with a food court and 24 hour CVS attached. If you stay in one of the central hotels, once you get your badge you don't actually need to leave the convention center at all! Dragoncon also has a huge focus on cosplay, so many amazing costumes through the whole con!!! Just make sure you wear something easy to move in on Saturday, the entire convention center is jam packed.

Denver Comic Con has been so much fun over the past few years since it has started! It's run by some amazing people who just want to throw the best nerd party they can, and it really shows.

Starfest is a long time con for me, and I've always had a blast hanging out with people and enjoying whatever shenanigans I get into.

AM: Give a random fact about one of your costumes that you're proud of!

KK: Oh gawd, just one? Uh… My most recent costume, my Mab dress, was made entirely from materials I've hoarded over the years and Christmas clearance stuff. I think I maybe spent $10 in new materials?

[Kitty Krell as a Queen Mab from The Dresden Files, photo by Camera Ninjas]

Thanks for the interview, Kitty Krell! You can check out her Facebook page here!

Andrea "Yunie" McFall is an avid comic collector who occasionally lends her weird humor to podcasts. She also works with Anime Jam Session and Cosplay Blog with a Brain, spreading as much geekiness around as possible. You can find her on Twitter as @Koiengi and on Facebook under Yunie/Koi.

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