Cos Culture Magazine - September 2015

cos culture magazine SEPTEMBER 2015

SPIDER INFERNO LEVEL40 TWO

A new cosplay fan subscription service!

Alive Alf Photography

KRISTEN LANAE

SEPTEMBER 2015

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 4.

KRISTEN LANAE

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SPIDER INFERNO COSPLAY

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ALIVE ALF PHOTOGRAPHY

40. LEVEL40TWO

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Cos Culture Magazine is owned and operated by NH Creative Inc. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/ CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Nikko Marie FRONT Cover image:

Kristen Lanae as Baby Doll Photography by Tascha Dearing Art

back cover image:

Genevieve Marie Photography by Alive Alf Photography

ISSN 2368-2582 Disclaimer:

Copyrights of all included text, photos and other material used in this edition of Cos Culture Magazine are the property of their respective owners, and have been graciously provided to us for use in this magazine by the legal owner of each work.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at info@ cosculturemagazine.com.

CONTACT: info@cosculturemagazine.com www.cosculturemagazine.com FB: cosculturemagazine Twitter: @cosculturemag PUBLISHER:

NH Creative Inc. Ottawa, ON Canada September, 2015 info@nhcreative.ca www.nhcreative.ca

Kristen Lanae as Nathan Drake Photo by David Love Photography FIRST EDITION

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KRISTEN LANAE Kristen Lanae as Babydoll Photo by David Love Photography SEPTEMBER 2015

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KRISTEN LANAE M I n n e s o d a , U SA

CC Mag: Tell us a bit about yourself!

Kristen: Well I am 24 years old and I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Currently, I am doing cosplay, Twitch streaming, and promotional modeling full time.

CC Mag: When did you first get into cosplay?

Kristen: I got into cosplay in the summer of 2013.

CC Mag: WHY did you first get into cosplay?

Kristen: My story of why I got into cosplay isn’t really all that exciting, hah. I attended my very first convention in Phoenix, AZ in the summer of 2013. I had only heard about cosplay before that, but never really seen it in person or knew a lot about it. When I went to Phoenix Comic Con, there were hundreds of people dressed up! It was a little blown away seeing these amazing costumes and so many people dressed up when it isn’t even Halloween.

I already loved video games and have been into art and photography for many years so I knew pretty immediately I had to cosplay. It’s pretty much the perfect combination of my passion for video games and art.

CC Mag: What has been the most challenging part of cosplay?

Kristen: The most challenging part for me has been learning how to make and sew the various costumes I’ve done completely on my own. That’s the thing about cosplay costumes, there generally aren’t any patterns out there you can just go to the store and buy. You have to create a lot of these things on your own or learn to get creative and modify clothing or objects that are already made. I didn’t take any classes on learning how to sew either. I just read through my sewing machine manual dozens of times and learned through trial and error. It’s been super difficult, but in the end it has been extremely rewarding.

“Unexpectedly, cosplay has helped me gain confidence in myself!”

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CC Mag: Have you ever been faced with negativity or bullying in the cosplay community? How have you overcome it?

Kristen: As great as this community is, there is a lot of drama and negativity that comes with it as well. My cosplay pictures have gotten posted around and have gained more attention recently on the internet. With that comes a lot of bad comments. Like people saying my costumes are over-sexualized or saying that I don’t really care about the characters or games I’m dressing as and it’s just for attention. That’s pretty insulting and hurtful but you have to learn to just brush it off and use it as fuel to keep going. People who have the time to sit and insult others online obviously have issues of their own and it makes me feel sad for them.

Kristen Lanae as Furiosa Photo by David Love Photography SEPTEMBER 2015

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CC Mag: You’ve spoken a lot about self-esteem and how cosplay has helped you overcome it. Could you tell us a bit about your story?

Kristen: I’ve dealt with self-esteem issues since around high school I’d say. I was picked on a lot and teased all throughout elementary school but it didn’t really hit me or bother me until high school. That’s when hormones kick in and looks become important, or so I thought at the time. I was always made fun of because I was too skinny, had a big nose, had buck teeth, had braces, was flat chested, or because of the clothes and style I dressed in.

what I said, but I actually didn’t start cosplay because I thought it would help with my self-esteem. I just started because of my huge passion and love of video games and their characters as well as my love for art and photography. Unexpectedly, cosplay has helped me gain confidence in myself. I was so nervous the first time I wore a costume to a convention around hundreds of people because I didn’t know what the reaction would be, or what people would say to me. To my surprise, I got tons of compliments on my work and people were incredibly nice and wanted to take my photo! It was kind of surreal.

I’ve always considered myself a strong, tough shelled person but eventually after years of torment you break down. In result I developed self-esteem issues and social anxiety, which I still deal with today. The stories that have been posted on the internet have kind of twisted

I don’t do well with crowds or putting myself out there, but each time I go to a new convention it gets easier it seems. I’m so happy that I am part of an awesome and supportive community and have found a way to help overcome the issues I’ve been struggling with for years.

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“I’m so happy that I am part of an awesom e and supportive comm unity and have found a way to help overcome the issu es I’ve been struggling w ith for years.”

Kristen Lanae as Scarlet Witch Photo by David Love Photography SEPTEMBER 2015

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Kristen Lanae as Phoenix Photo by David Love Photography SEPTEMBER 2015

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CC Mag: What do you have planned for the future in terms of cosplays and conventions, etc?

Kristen: I’m really hoping that next year I get a lot more opportunities to travel around to conventions around the United States (and maybe even international cons!) and meet the awesome people who follow me. I just recently got my first official guesting opportunity where I’ll have my very own booth. I’ll be at the 2050 Event in Daytona Beach, FL on Halloween weekend. As for cosplays, I will keep creating and going after bigger and even more challenging projects. I like to continue to push myself and learn new techniques.

You can find more of Kristen Lanae’s work here: www.kristenlanae.com www.facebook.com/kristenlanaecosplay Photography by: Tascha Dearing Art (Cover image) taschadearing.webs.com www.facebook.com/Tazpire David Love Photography www.truefd.com www.truefd.com/davidlovephotography www.facebook.com/davidlovephotography

Kristen Lanae as Elizabeth Photo by David Love Photography SEPTEMBER 2015

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Kristen Lanae as Black Widow Photo by David Love Photography 14

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Kristen Lanae as Ms. Marvel Photo by David Love Photography SEPTEMBER 2015

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Spider Inferno as Spider-Man Photo by Carlos Hernandez SEPTEMBER 2015

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Spider Inferno as Spider-Carnage Photo by Carlos Hernandez 18

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SPIDER INFERNO montreal, canada

CC Mag: Tell us a bit about yourself!

Spider Inferno: Like every good superhero I have a secret identity to protect. So I have taken up the name Spider Inferno to protect my friends and family, for there are those who would want me dead if they actually knew who I was. You see, cosplay has that much power in today’s society and that’s what I do, I cosplay! For those unsure what the means, the quick response is: I’m a bigger nerd than you!

CC Mag: When did you first get into cosplay?

Spider Inferno: Well…when I was young, I was bitten by a radioactive spider and through some misfortunate turn of events I donned the phrase, with great cosplay comes great responsibility, so I just started kicking some random butt in costumes like a good superhero should. But in all seriousness, when I was five years old my father used to take me every Sunday to the comic book store to pick out whatever I wanted.

When I discovered Spider-Man, it was during the Todd McFarlene’s Amazing Spider-Man run. I was instantly hooked and never looked back. It came to the point

in my life that my Spider-Man obsession had people referring to me as Spidey, so I figured the most obvious direction to take was to become my favorite superhero, which I did. Putting on a costume is a lot like a tattoo, once you have one, more must follow, which is exactly what happened in my case.

CC Mag: Why Spider Man? What drew you to that character?

Spider Inferno: Like I stated earlier I have been reading and collecting Spider-Man comics since I was a little boy. Currently I collect Silver Age and Bronze Age Spider-Man comics. Why do I love Spider-Man so much?

Simply put, it’s because he’s very relatable to how my teenage life was, growing up a bit of geek and feeling like I had a secret identify until I was able to come out of shell and go with it. I also have similar morals to how Peter lives his life. I believe in giving back to people more than taking. I believe that helping people, whether it’s a big or small gesture, can go a long way, which is why I do what I can for charity and have visited sick children several times just to put a smile on their faces.

“ I believe that helping people, whether it’s a big or small gesture, can go a long way...”

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CC Mag: Tell us about your different spider man cosplays. How many have you done?

Spider Inferno: I’ve done the following: Comic Style Spider-Man, Black Symbiote Spider-Man, SpiderCarnage, The Bombastic Bag-Man, Symbiote SpiderMan 2099, Little Red-Ridding Hood Spider-Man and Mangaverse Spider-Man. I have a few new ones on the horizon, Punk Spider-Man, Big Time Spider-Man (Blue) and Symbiote Spider-Man Unlimited.

CC Mag: Which one is your favourite to wear? Your least favourite?

Spider Inferno: It has to be my Comic Book Style McFarlene suit. I wear this one the most and it has the most sentimental value to me. I probably wear the Symbiote Spider-Man 2099 the least as the built in claws make it hard to actually hold anything, I feel like Edward Scissor Hands in that thing.

CC Mag: Walk us through one of your spider man builds – how do you get the pattern on the fabric, etc?

Spider Inferno: My first few builds were templates I had gotten from the Internet. Using those templates I modified them and sent off to an online spandex printing company who prints the template onto the

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lycra in order to be sewed together. I had assistance for a bit because I really had no idea how to sew to first, but eventually I good decent with a sewing machine. Over the years I’ve had the pleasure to work with amazing creative talents like my boys Alex Brenot (aka Sinistur) and Alexander Grifter (Grifter’s Customs). These guys are geniuses at what they do, you learn a lot from minds like them.

CC Mag: What has been your most memorable cosplay experience?

Spider Inferno: Every single time I see a child grinning from ear to ear and run at me with a flying hug. Every single time, that’s my most memorable experience.

Experiences like that are why I cosplay, I put myself in the child’s shoes and just know how happy I’d be if I was him seeing my favourite superhero for real.

CC Mag: What conventions do you like to go to?

Spider Inferno: East Coast conventions mainly, as I’m a local Montrealer I enjoy the Montreal Comic Con. I also have to New York Comic Con six times now and it is by far my favourite convention. I think the most fun I’ve ever had at a convention was C2E2 in Chicago. The people and the city are a blast.

Spider Inferno as Spider-Man Sassmira as Mary Jane Photo by Don Dolche SEPTEMBER 2015

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CC Mag: Besides going to conventions, what do you do with your cosplay?

Spider Inferno: I spend a lot of my weekends doing kids parties. It’s surprisingly good money and super fun!

Exhausting, though, and those little kids keep getting me sick with all the hugging and coughing on me.

“ I look up to anyone who challenges themself and perseveres over the hurdles that are thrown at them. ” CC Mag: Outside of cosplay what do you do?

Spider Inferno: I work as an IT Project Manager.

Currently I’m working for a tech startup in downtown Montreal. I can’t give too many details about it, but it has huge potential. For fun I’m a huge gamer, PC and console. Currently I’m playing Hearthstone, Destiny, Rocket League and Until Dawn. I also enjoy being active and working out. Watching TV and Movies. I’m a huge horror movie buff. I see everything, bad or good I really don’t care! On a normal night I tend to curl up with my cat Gwen and just veg out on my couch.

CC Mag: Who or what do you look to for inspiration in cosplay?

Spider Inferno: Creativity, uniqueness and respect in the community. Cosplay is about the love of the characters you’re representing. It’s not a pissing contest or a popularity contest. I look up to anyone who challenges themself and perseveres over the hurdles that are thrown at them. It doesn’t matter if you don’t look like that character you want to cosplay. Just go out there and make it your own! That I can respect. The imagination and vision of someone committed to their character.

CC Mag: What are you future plans?

Spider Inferno: Besides the three Spider-Man related costumes I spoke about earlier, I just did a Suicide Squad Joker shoot. I’m excited about that! It was a 6-hour makeup job. After that, I don’t know. I like to get all of the planned costumes finished before thinking of the future.

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CC Mag: You’ve done a few great team-ups/ collaborations with other cosplayers. Tell us a bit about those.

Spider Inferno: As Spider-Man, I’ve worked with several Mary Janes, a few Black Cats and a Gwen. I had the pleasure to meet and become friends with some amazing talents, and I consider myself very lucky. I also recently did a Phoenix Five Cyclops cosplay for a Phoenix Five group. All with some local Canadian cosplay friends of mine, who are some of the most skilled people I know.

But my favourite of all time is #TeamRed baby! The best ‘red’ superheroes of Marvel teaming up for some good times: Deadpool, Spider-Man and Daredevil. That shoot was hilarious!

CC Mag: If you could pair up with ANY cosplayer in the world to do a group cosplay, who would it be and what would you cosplay?

Spider Inferno: Something Wicked Cosplay (WickedM6) for sure. I would love to do a Spider-Man and Deadpool shoot with him one day, or even a Punk Spider-Man vs Punk Joker set.

You can find more of Spider Inferno’s work here: www.facebook.com/SpiderInferno Photography by: Craig Bannerman www.craigbannermanphotography.com/ www.facebook.com/CraigBannermanPhotography Don Dolche Photography www.dondolce.com www.facebook.com/DonDolcePhotography Carlos Hernandez Cyberfox007 www.facebook.com/pages/Cyberfox007Photography/282766998598766 Makeup (pg. 23) by: Caroline Kamar www.facebook.com/Chibbi-TeaCosplay-206351729398044/

Spider Inferno as Suicide Squad Joker Photo by Cyberfox007 Makeup by Caroline Kamar SEPTEMBER 2015

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Spider Inferno as Daredevil UndeadDu as Elektra Photo by Craig Bannerman 24

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COSPLAY PHOTOGRAPHY

ALIVE ALF

Cosplay by Gurl With Red Hair Photo by Alive Alf SEPTEMBER 2015

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ALIVE ALF

PHOTOGRAPHY indonesia

CC Mag: When did you first get into cosplay photography?

Alive Alf: I started as a cosplayer myself in 2005, back then cosplay photo shoots for me were basically just a casual con shoot. I thought the costumes done by my fellow cosplayer friends would be a waste if their efforts were limited to be enjoyed only during the events. I felt that they deserved more appreciation, because of their rich potential as artistic subjects, and I saw photography as the answer. I found out that photography can bring cosplay into a whole new level, into a new form of art.

To me, cosplay photography is complex but at the same time unique, wherein the emphasis in make-up, landscape and costume are factors within the variety of elements in photography (beauty, landscape, fashion, etc). The depth within a photo in cosplay photography reveals the character(s) or theme(s) of the cosplay where they each contain their own unique stories.

CC Mag: What are some of your most memorable experiences as a cosplay photographer?

Alive Alf: My most memorable experience as a cosplay photographer is always when doing a photo shoot to a distant place from home, travelling together with friends and shooting in a place we’ve never been before is an amazing experience.

I also enjoy handling cosplayers that are extremely shy.

Being a shy and introverted person myself enables me to advise them during the shoots and thereby overcome their shyness. I love to make them happy, and their smile is the best thing ever.

CC Mag: Do you typically do on-location shoots, or do you prefer studio work?

Alive Alf: Well both have their own uniqueness and offer lots of different possibilities. I love both, but I prefer to shoot on-location, because I want to feel connected with the environment directly, giving me and the cosplayer inspiration, especially when shooting somewhere out of town like in the wilderness.

Cosplay by Yuks General Photo by Alive Alf SEPTEMBER 2015

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Cosplay by Strawberry Censor Cosplay Photo by Alive Alf 30

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Cosplay by Savannah Scilley and Kohalu Photo by Alive Alf SEPTEMBER 2015

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CC Mag: Who are some of the cosplayers you’ve worked with? Can you tell us a bit about some of your collaborations?

Alive Alf: Now that’s a BIG question! I worked with lots of Indonesian cosplayers like Aphin, Echow, Pinky Lu Xun and friends. I’m glad and honoured that I also had a chance to shoot with cosplayers outside Indonesia, like Kaname (Japan), Astellecia Skye (Singapore), Yuks General (USA), Vicky/Vivid Vision (Canada), Holly Wolf (Canada) and more.

Every one of them are amazingly talented cosplayers and super fun to work with! And of course we usually do dorky things during the shoot, making our shoot even more fun!

CC Mag: What has been your favourite shoot so far?

Alive Alf: My favourite shoot so far is our Sesshomaru & Kagura shoot. It was my first time to shoot on a mountain where we had to hike for about 2 hours. But it was totally worth it, the landscape was amazing and it felt magical.

“ I found out that photography can bring cosplay into a whole new level, into a new form of art. ”

What made it so memorable is also because it suddenly rained right after we’re just shooting our first frame.

We’re not prepared for this condition, so we had to wait for an hour before continuing the shoot.

(Checking the weather prediction is important boys & girls!)

Cosplay by Kelton Photo by Alive Alf SEPTEMBER 2015

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Cosplay by Squkyshoes Photo by Alive Alf 34

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Cosplay by Junkers Cosplay Inc. Photo by Alive Alf SEPTEMBER 2015

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CC Mag: Do you have a particular style? Or does it vary shoot to shoot?

Alive Alf: It’ll be different for each shoot and concept.

Usually I’ll try to mimic the style from the original source material and sort of combine it with my own style. For example, during my Kill La Kill shoot with Gamagori & Mako, I wanted to mimic the ‘unique’ perspective from the original anime where body proportions are super random and distorted, I specifically used a super wide angle lens to create that effect in-camera, and then during post-processing phase I added a bit of taste of my own style into it.

CC Mag: If you could photograph any cosplayer in the world, who would it be and why?

Alive Alf: Now this is another BIG question! I have tons of cosplay senpai names in my head but if I have to pick my best 3 it would be Narga & Aoki Cosplay, Yuegene Fay and Jannet “Incosplay” Vinogradova. I feel like all of them have this charismatic aura around them, and I can totally feel their passion and love for each of the characters they’re cosplaying as.

CC Mag: Do you have any tips or tricks you’re willing to share with our readers?

Alive Alf: Doing research is a must before shooting a certain character. It will help you to plan the shoot more effectively and also it will inspire you to construct lots of interesting ideas.

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CC Mag: Do you have any advice for someone who wants to get started in cosplay photography?

Alive Alf: Don’t be afraid to spread your work out to the world, and don’t worry if you’re just starting out and made some mistakes, because eventually you’ll improve and the best part is that you will be able to see your progress and realize how amazing you really are!

CC Mag: What do you have planned for the future?

Alive Alf: Rule the world! (joking) haha. My plan is to travel around the world, capturing the beauty of the world we live in.

You can find more of Alive Alf Photography’s work here: www.facebook.com/AliveAlfPhotography Instagram: @alive_alf

Cosplay by Rian Synnth Cosplay Photo by Alive Alf SEPTEMBER 2015

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Cosplay by Arsen Freya, Alify Adnin and Rian CYD Cosplay Photo by Alive Alf SEPTEMBER 2015

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LEVEL40TWO Idaho, usa

CC Mag: What is Level40two?

Level40Two: Level40Two is a Cosplay Fan Box featuring exclusive autographed photos of Cosplay Artists.

Included with every signed 8x10 print are an exclusive collectible trading card, one of a kind Chibi sticker and more. Level40Two is a way for fans to connect with Cosplay Artists they love and get a signed photograph that’s rare and cannot be found anywhere else. It’s also a great opportunity for Cosplay Artists to reach more fans as well. It’s difficult for West Coast fans and artists to reach East Coast conventions, and the same goes for international artists as well. Level40Two also features a Spotlight Artist every month to showcase a talented Cosplay Artist that may be lesser known but certainly worth a look!

CC Mag: How did you come up with the idea?

Level40Two: I’m a special effects makeup artist and had a booth at a comic book convention. I dressed in Cosplay for the event for no other reason than I wanted to and enjoyed it. It’s hard to say what was more popular at my booth that day, my makeup skills or my cosplay!

I had so many people coming up to me and asking to take pictures. Before I knew it my personal Instagram and Facebook were blowing up with posts and tags from people I didn’t know. On the second day of the convention I had the pleasure of chatting more with LeeAnna Vamp, Joanie Brosas and Tracy (HotNerdGirl) and they all had very encouraging things to say about my cosplay and even handed a few tips my way. I guess you could say I was hooked!

Not long after coming out of the “Cosplay Closet” I started getting requests for prints and was a little overwhelmed. Conventions are expensive! I couldn’t fly around the country doing different conventions and cover all the costs. I saw that other Cosplay Artists had print stores online, but thought the format lacked a personal touch with fans. I had a glass of wine (or two, darn) one night and had the bright idea that maybe regular fans wouldn’t mind some sort of regular distribution of new prints and art.

With subscription services like IPSY and Lootcrate being so popular it didn’t take long for my mind to wander deeper into the rabbit hole for an expanded Cosplay Fan Box featuring many brilliant artists. I’ve owned or operated a few companies in the past, so it didn’t take much more than an idea and an extra $106 to register my business name with my State. Within two weeks I had a license, someone to do branding, and found a box maker. It was a whirlwind and I’ve loved every minute of it!!

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A brand new cosplay fan subscription box!

Owner and creator, Alkali Layke Photo by Jeremy Brown Photography SEPTEMBER 2015

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CC Mag: How long has it been around?

Level40Two: The company was founded mid-December of 2014. It’s such a baby :) CC Mag: Who have we featured so far?

Level40Two: Joanie Brosas, Jacqueline Goehner, Shantel Knight (Zombie Bit Me), Myself (although I didn’t want to, scheduling didn’t work with a model last minute), UnDeadDu, Alexia Jean Grey, Kasi Altair, Kayla Erin, and currently this September: Jaycee Cosplay.

Spotlights: Megan Golden, Queen Helene Cosplay, Sharon 10.6 and Kayley 10.6, Erin Kay Cosplay, Gem Gem Cosplay.

CC Mag: How do you select your cosplayers?

Level40Two: First of all....YES....we take submissions!

Although, it’s just lil me answering the emails.....I try! I chose Joanie Brosas to launch Level40Two because she was the first Cosplay Artist that I’ve ever met in person and so far the absolute nicest EVAH! She is as kind as she is beautiful, and I’m so thankful for her friendship.

She didn’t have as large of a following at the time as she does now....but I didn’t care....I had to have her. If anyone represented a nerdy geek gorgeous Cosplay Artist it was that girl. She talked to me forever about StarTrek and I learned more than I ever did from just watching the show.

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THAT’s what I look for. It’s not just about: Are you a Cosplayer? It’s more like: Do you understand your character? If you had a booth and a fan walked up and started talking to you about your Cosplay could you answer their questions? What’s the meaning behind the number 42? Are you a nice and genuine person (I don’t like mean people)? Do you support all forms of Cosplay? Are you CosPositive? These are the types of things I look for. Of course....kindly answering an email is nice, too. I’ve emailed, DMd, messaged and tweeted SO MANY cosplay artists and some never give me so much as a simple reply back. I think the Cosplay Artists that fans want to see and get to know are the kind that truly care about them back.

That’s kind of a long way to answer that question, but every girl I’ve had the pleasure of working with so far meets all of that criteria. AND....sometimes....that’s more important than the number of followers they have or how big their bra size is. Although, don’t take that last sentence the wrong way. There’s nothing wrong with any cup/bra size.....EVAH. Everyone likes boobs. Boobs.

I’m a dork.....is that reading through my awful sentence structure? I hope so. :)

Subscribe today at:

www.level40two.com SEPTEMBER 2015

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