Live Magazine June Edition - Spider-Man!

INTERVIEWED BY ANNY SIMMS
Welcome to LIVE Magazine Cassie!
Could you tell our readers a bit about
yourself?
Thanks! My name is Cassie and I’m
a 21 year old cosplayer from Canberra!
Online I go by Rose Cosplay,
and I love to cosplay a mix between
anime and video game characters.
I’ve been cosplaying for about 8
years now, primarily at Sydney conventions
and occasionally in Canberra
and Melbourne. My main hobbies
include video games, anime, board
games and tabletop RPG’s!
How did you discover cosplay?
In high school I studied Japanese,
and there was a poster in my Japanese
classroom for a convention in
Sydney called Animania! My friends
and I talked about going, and in September
2009 we all made the trip
together and we attended our very
first convention! Looking it up gave
us a very vague idea of cosplay, and
I made a backpack that looked like
a character from my favourite anime
at the time (Kagura from Fruits
Basket), thinking that I didn’t want
to stand out too much. When I got
there, and saw all the brightly coloured
wigs and elaborate costumes
my mind changed immediately, and
after that I decided cosplay was
for me. It all seemed so fantastical,
and I desperately wanted to be one
of those people in the big, beautiful
cosplays. Ever since, I’ve been striving
for that.
What’s your favourite con to attend?
My favourite definitely is PAX Australia.
Of all the Australian conventions
I have attended, PAX has the
most to see and do. While some
conventions can feel a little repetitive
after a few years, PAX always
brings in new and exciting things
for me to watch and play and take
part in. I’ll always make sure to plan
at least one day out of cosplay so I
can go around the convention floor
and play all the indie games, line up
for the VR demos and spend all my
money on board games.
What’s the most challenging
part about choosing and making
cosplay?
The most challenging part for me is
starting a new costume! I’m the kind
of person that can’t leave a job half
done, often sacrificing sleep to finish
something I’ve started. If I haven’t
started yet, I feel a little less obligation
to get going with it however.
Once I get the ball rolling and just
pick one part of the cosplay to start,
even if it is as small as jewellery, the
momentum from that keeps me going
and it becomes much easier to
finish.
What has cosplay added to your life?
A whole lot of amazing connections
and friends I never would have otherwise
met. It’s like having a huge
friendship circle that are all into
the same nerdy stuff as you, and I
don’t ever have to worry about talking
about my nerdy interests online
and having friends not understand.
Before cosplay my circle of friends
that shared my interests in anime
and games was very, very small, but
once I started I met so many new
and wonderful people at conventions,
and they have become some
of the best and most supportive
friends I have. For a long time it also
gave me something to look forward
to in the year, and something to work
towards when work and life got too
repetitive and mundane.
Any tips for someone just starting to
get into cosplay?
Don’t worry about whether a cosplay
will suit you or whether people will
‘get it’ or recognize you, just pick a
character you love! There is no way
to do cosplay ‘wrong’. The most fun I
have in cosplay is when I am dressed
as a character that I really like and
enjoy. The best part of my day is always
when other fans of the series
come up and talk to me about it, or
yell the character’s catchphrase at
me, or even something as simple as
taking a photo with me and saying
how much they like the character.
It gives me just a brief connection
with someone else that shares my
love of the character, and it feels so
nice when people get excited about
it with you. Cosplay is for fun! So if
you’re not going to have fun doing
it, there is no point in doing it. Wear
something that will make you feel
good, and at the end of the day it will
be worth it.
Are there any games you’re looking
forward to, or are currently enjoying
playing?
I’m really looking forward to getting
to play Persona 5! I’m also very ex-