KATIE GEORGE - COSPLAY'S JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN

Do you know why the wonderful world of cosplay is truly so wonderful? Is it because of the great outfits the cosplayers wear? Or is it because the cosplayers are able to bring to life what physically isn't? Well, if you'd like to to know why, please check out this conversation I had with my wonderful pal, Katie George, only the other day, whilst wonderfully being wonderful in wonderland.





1) What are your own origins, Katie? Plus what path did you take in life before you got to where you are today?   I went to my first convention with a large group of internet friends from an amateur voice actor forum I frequented (I used to want to be a voice actor something FIERCE), and knew from the internet, that cosplay made cons infinitely more fun.

From there, I was instantly hooked, and the cosplay thing just kind of snowballed, with my 2nd convention being Anime Expo 2005, and going from one costume in 2004, to six new costumes in 2005!

2) What are the most persistent comments you've received from your fans?   “You look a lot like Anne Hathaway!”.

3) What is your ‘regular’ job? And does it in any way shape or form aide you as a Cosplayer?   I work a corporate office desk job, so the answer is no. Not at all.

4) How did your friends, family, and work colleagues first react to the news that you were a Cosplay model?   My family’s reaction (or mostly my mom’s) ranges from “That looks AMAZING!! I went online to search for pictures of you and found a few!!” to “So when are you going to grow out of this cosplay thing???”. It just depends on the day I suppose. 

Luckily, I have the buffer of having a cosplay boyfriend about 10 years older than me, who still cosplays despite being a busy attorney; so my mom can't really bring it up when he’s around. As for friends and colleagues, they mostly think it’s pretty cool. I tend to avoid hanging out with the kind of people who would judge me for being an uber dork. 

5) How do you decide what Cosplay costume to wear for a convention? And who makes them?   There’s not much of a method to my madness when it comes to picking what costumes to wear at a con other than I try to stick to genres and themes that fall within those of the con. For example, I'd wear Adora from She-ra to Dragon*con, but I don't think I'd ever wear her to AWA, and the reverse is true for Takane from iDOLM@STER.

And I make all my costumes myself.

6) What have you learnt about yourself whilst being a Cosplay model? And were there any unforeseen obstacles you had to contend with?   I've learned that I'm a procrastinator and work best under pressure. Well, I've always known I was a procrastinator, but with costumes, the only way to keep me focused is with a nearing deadline. A deadline of “oh, hey, the photoshoot is tomorrow. CRAP” or “AHHH!!! THE CON IS NEXT WEEKEND!” seem to do the trick better than “Gee golly, I'm so excited to be making this costume for a con 6 months from now!”. Unfortunately, it’s just how I function. It’s also my biggest obstacle as a cosplayer. 

7) What was the best / worst convention you ever attended?   So many great cons! Dragon*con is almost always the best, hands down. 2009 was probably my favorite year. I also had an AMAZING time at NYCC last year, and I'm looking forward to doing that con again!

As for the worst, I'd probably say San Diego Comic Con 2010 was the biggest disappointment, because I had really hyped it up in my mind, and it just… err... wasn't very fun! My boyfriend Cliff and I were expecting it to be like D*C, but with more industry and we were WAY off. However, our friends have gone since then and had a blast, so this year, Cliff and I are gonna try again and see if we can't do SDCC the right way!

8) What would be your dream Cosplay gig and outfit?   Probably being a singing, dancing cosplay idol in Nippon~. I’m just a weeaboo like that. My friends can verify.

9) Has there ever been an outfit you just did not like wearing? And if so, why?   Almost every costume comes with varying levels of discomfort or regret (as in, 'I could've made this part way better'). But most of my least favorite costumes were made for groups that never happened (Mio from Don't Say Lazy) or made so last minute, they fell apart at the con (Black Mage Rikku) or looked like poo on me (my Christmas Ami dress). 

10) Do you have a credo you live by?   I wouldn't call it a credo, but I try to never take myself too seriously. I might take my cosplay seriously, yet never myself. That’s the difference between a talented Cosplayer who is fun to be around and a talented Cosplayer who isn't worth your time.

Thanks for that, Katie. What you had to say I liked a lot, and what I like a lot I encourage my readers to click on. So go ahead. What are you waiting for? Please follow Ms George's on her facebook, twitter, and Youtube pages. Plus I would also like to thank the photographers for taking the snaps provided.