Sarah: Semi-retired cosplayer

The first time I ever cosplayed it was 2019, and I still cared about the MCU. I walked into Tauranga Armageddon in an incredibly hodgepodge crimson coat and bodice knowing full well that the cheap curtain fabric wasn’t particularly accurate to the Scarlet Witch costume I had tried to replicate. But the first person I saw when I walked in the doors was a guy dressed as Captain America. I kid you not he saw me, smiled and slowly brought his non-shield bearing hand up to a salute.  

Cosplay always brought me a crazy amount of joy. The exhausting days with friends, going to panels, meeting new people and wandering around until your feet hurt… it’s magic.  The people are so kind, creative, supportive and you’d be hard pressed to find someone with a malicious bone in their body. 

After my first cosplay I decided I wanted to make more and make it better. Slowly but surely, I started competing in cosplay contests. I leveled up my skills, tried foam crafting, corset making and even spent over 50 hours hand embroidering the hem of my Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland cosplay. The contest team at Armageddon was astounding. It can’t be overstated how wonderfully supportive they were from the moment I first met them all. I always learned something new from the feedback in these contests, and I met people who were always happy to suggest creative solutions when I was struggling to figure out how something was made or why it wasn’t working. 

I loved the contest scene. I’ve always enjoyed having an event to work towards and, hey, a cash prize or two wouldn’t hurt here or there, would it? In my time, I ended up winning some awards, representing nationally and even being a part of Armageddon’s “All-Stars” Cosplay contest to celebrate their 20-year anniversary.  

There’s no big reason why I’ve stopped cosplaying, but I realized one day that I hadn’t posted anything on my cosplay account in over a year, and I was fine with that. Occasionally, I find a character that makes the cosplayer in me writhe and claw to be let out again, but Study Link doesn’t exactly cover fabric money.  

So, never say never, maybe @Sarah._.Creates will rise from the dead. But Amira, your first cosplay is already worlds ahead of where I started, so I’m buzzing to see what you do next. 

Amira: 

Cosplay and Con Newbie

Dylan, I’m stealing your thing, so here we go, this is ‘you never forget your first con’.  

I’ve always enjoyed being a part of fandoms – whether it was for books, tv shows or movies – but I’d never been to a con or tried proper cosplay until I went to Armageddon this year. The prep started with convincing my boyfriend Cody to cosplay Flynn Rider and Rapunzel with me. Then, I decided to have a go at sewing my first cosplay. Shout out to Cody’s grandmother for helping me sew because I absolutely would have failed trying to do it on my own. Then Saturday came and Cody, our friend/designated driver Matteo and I jumped in the car and after 2 hours (and a whole lot of road rage) we arrived in Auckland.  

On our first morning, I was lucky enough to meet one of my favourite Youtubers: Rachel Maksy. I’ve been watching her on and off since I was 14 so seeing her in person was an awesome experience. She was so lovely, and we were able to get a photo with her, as well as a signed print. 

One of my favourite things about Armageddon was the sense of community you feel right as you step through the doors for the first time, especially with fellow cosplayers. I met a couple of other Rapunzel cosplayers who were incredibly lovely and made the whole experience so much better, and we also got a photo of us recreating that pointing Spiderman meme. I highly recommend checking out their accounts for more of their amazing cosplays, Anna’s Instagram is @ginger_tea_time and Mathilde’s is @matilde.couture    

Other highlights of the con were watching a celebrity DND panel and winning a box of stuff from the Japanese company Zen market (not sponsored) so that was pretty cool.  

If you’re reading this now and you’re someone who has been thinking about getting into cosplay and cons, I highly recommend you do it. It’s a great chance to meet new people, discover new interests, and have a lot of fun. 

Also, shameless plug, but if you want to see more of my cosplay and geeky adventures, follow my Instagram account @amis_cosylife.