Otakus and Geeks is pleased to present to you our new popular feature, Cosplayer Spotlight. It is dedicated to showcase talented individuals from the cosplay community. Catch some new talent or get a look at some well-established members from the world of cosplay.

My name is Sheena and I am a cosplayer from New Jersey. I am part of a cosplay group called the Cosbaes, and I love dressing up for fun! My other interests include food, comic books, Nintendo games, and traveling,

How did you get into cosplaying and how long you been doing it?
I have loved anime and video games since I was a little kid, and when I found out that there were conventions where people dressed up as their favorite characters, I thought it would be cool to try it out. I have been cosplaying since about 2006.

What is cosplay to you?
To me, cosplay is about expressing yourself creatively and showing your love for a certain character from anime, manga, video games, movies - you name it.

Do you have someone who inspires you to cosplay? If so who?
My best friend Marjoan has always inspired me. She’s extremely talented in makeup, fashion, and making costumes and I’ve always admired her for it. She even brought me to my first convention.

Do your family and friends know you cosplay?
Yes they do.

Are you doing cosplay as a hobby or professionally?
Just as a hobby.

Do you only do local or other conventions, as well?
So far, only local ones I have only attended conventions in NJ and NY.

How many conventions do you go in a year?
Usually 1-3, but I want to start attending more if I can!

If you can, cosplay anywhere in the world? Where would it be?
Probably anywhere in Asia. The cosplayers there are so skilled! It would be awesome to see all the talents people have.

When cosplaying what do you feel is most important? (e.g. detail , character portrayal, etc.)
Level of detail is most important to me. Anyone can put on clothes to look like a certain character, but it is the details that make a costume go from cool to incredibly amazing. Details also show how hard a person works on their costume and how closely they want to portray their character.

What is your pet peeve when it comes to cosplay?
When people who don’t apply face/body paint properly, cheap wigs, outfits that look like you bought them at party city, etc…Basically when it is obvious that a person has put little to no effort.

Do you prefer to buy or make your cosplays/props?
Make them!

When deciding on how you want your cosplay to look, what goes through your mind? (e.g. does the fabric/material have to look like the picture)
I think about the fabric I’m going to use, what parts I can buy and alter, which parts I can make, and how long it will take me.

What type of characters do you enjoy cosplaying?
Any character as long as it’s one of my favorites! I usually end up cosplaying Asian girls though; it’s a lot easier since I already have black hair haha.

What is your favorite part of putting on your cosplay?
Seeing it all come together.

How do you choose the characters you cosplay as?
Identification with the character, whether or not I like their outfit, how difficult/easy it will be.

Are there any cosplays that you wish you could pull off?
Nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any cosplays that you will never do and why?
Probably really heavy/armored ones like from Monster Hunter, WoW, or LoL. It just seems hard to move in and I’m not interested enough in those games to dedicate the amount of time it takes to create those intricate costumes.

Do you believe that a person has to have certain qualities to pull off a cosplay? (e.g. facial structure, etc.)
I don’t think physical qualities are necessary, but they add to the overall accuracy of the cosplay. It should not stop anyone from cosplaying though.

What are some of your dream cosplays?
Gijinka Pokémon, armored Sailor Scouts, Asami Sato, San from Princess Mononoke, and Gogo Tomago from Big Hero 6 (with armor).

Outside of cosplaying, what else do you do?
I like to read comics, go to concerts, travel, and hang out with friends!

How do you fund your cosplay?
Either mine or my parent’s money haha.

Where do you go most often for photoshoots? Do you do photoshoots?
Jaycee Estrella, Ron Gejon, and Jason Chau are all really awesome photgraphers that have taken photos of me and my friends! Check out their work. ;) Other than that, I don’t really seek out photoshoots, I’ll do them if there is an opportunity and if there are photographers around.

Do you prefer your images photoshopped or unshopped?
Either one, as long as they look good. I appreciate cool edits.

You can follow and view more of her work here
Instagram
CosBaes FanPage