CosplayBytes

I am incredibly excited to have the wonderfully talented EmrisCoscept back on the show to talk about her latest adventures in both creating art in addition to their time at SakuraCon a few weeks back. From hearing of the area's expansion to the amount of money Emris spent in Artist Alley, she talks about being able to meet so many new people due to the shared common love of things like One Piece. Not only that but you'll hear of many tangents and rants about both of our shared loves like Final Fantasy with XVI's imminent release, how I'll eventually go back into XIV, Emris' passion for loving Star Wars & One Piece, and Nightwing cause if you saw the last time Emris was on, then you'll absolutely know

Go check out Emris' work at the link below!

I'm hoping that this pep talk with Anya Braddock in this episode helps out anyone within the cosplay/content creation space. It was really great chatting with her as we dive into her cosplay origin story alongside the plethora of conventions she's been to from 2022 into 2023. Whether it's through vending with her own work, to teaming up with brands like Sleepi, Anya goes into detail about some of these more recent conventions in addition to laying out her plans for the remainder of the year. We talk about the giant friend group trip she did a few months back where photoshoots were aplenty. However as I was researching topics, one thing that stood out for me was her networking skills so that ends up becoming a focal point for the episode. Anya shares her methodology in how she views and handles networking with people, parts of the con where it's done and her overall desire to create safe yet awesome content with other people. She also gives insight into handling dead air during Twitch streams as well as imposter syndrome. A lot of these are hitting me hard personally as I'm trying to navigate these bad brain days I have wondering about my own content or even comparing myself to other creators in this space. I'm hoping to take these lessons to heart for the rest of the year and I hope it helps you out too in some way :)

Follow Anya's work here:

I got to have an amazing chat with Spectra in regards to not only his time at PAX East & Anime Boston this past weekend, but also his cosplay journey overall. Starting around the same time as I am, Spectra goes into detail about his first convention alongside his friend group and the Deadpool outfit he eventually wore as his first cosplay not long after. He then goes into detail about the armor work that he's done in addition to the many panels over the years at conventions like PAX, Anime Boston and many more. The episode starts out with a heartfelt/lengthy chat about content creation efforts and I gotta say, his words were extremely inspiring and I'm even more excited to where things take him later this year. Detailing hopeful visits to Dragon*Con, HolMat and even FanExpo Boston are just some of the conventions he's hoping to visit this year. He also goes into his Twitch streaming efforts and desire to do things that make him happy/feel fulfilled as he puts it! Spectra also talks about how the cosplay/content creation seen has changed with its treatment of POC individuals. Such a fun time and I hope you all have a blast tuning in!

If you want to view more of Spectra's work, click here:

I'm very excited to have Mink the Satyr on this episode for an in-depth look at our time during PAX East 2023 this past weekend! Not only did Mink do several panels, but I also talk about the many games I played . Mink also shouts out games she played on certain days in addition to detailing each of the panels she attended. Later on, we also get into a conversation about the declining presence of cosplay and what it could possibly mean in terms of the hobby's presence at PAX East or other similarly hyper focused conventions about a singular topic. Other topics include the food I ate at a variety of restaurants, THE LONG WALK TO MY HOTEL and hopes/goals for next year!

Follow Mink at her various sites through the link below!

For this episode, I am joined by the insanely talented k8Sarkissian as we go through so many topics. From her cosplay origin story to various moments in wishing she didn't miss out on certain shows like Sailor Moon and even the original Pokemon anime. We soon dive into her time going to both Katsucon and WaifuExpo (which was a newly created 18+ convention done by Bishoujo Mom!) which involves conflicting thoughts on the former and a whole lot of hentai with the latter. Kate goes into detail about her cosplays made for each event along with what her favorite part of the cosplay process is. She also reflects on how the pandemic changed the hobby and that we both find it interesting in how the cosplay landscape has changed. Sort of like the "old guard" passing the torch to the new generation of cosplayers that are getting their start today. Kate also talks about her time being a lewd content creator and how amazed she saw that cosplay bridged herself and many others into sex work. This was an insanely fun episode to record so I hope you enjoy

Starner Cosplay was an absolute sweetheart in joining me again for the final episode of 2022! Most of our discussion was around her time at Holiday Matsuri which took place a few weeks ago (from the publish date!) and how much it's changed from previous years. Including discussion on just how much of a "hallway con" it is to some of its many 18+ events like the Hottest Man in Anime competition as well as the Men's Maid Cafe 0-0. Starner wore Supergirl for this year and noted how surprised she was at the cosplays reception XD. She also talks about other insane events from the con as well as us both looking back on this past year for us content creation-wise. Starner may have given me an idea on how to take this show to a new level so stay tuned! I hope you all had a fantastic holiday season and thank you from the bottom of my heart for continuing to support this show and what I do :)

Longtime viewers will know that whenever Mink the Satyr and Legend of Larcy are on the same episode, chaos ensues. That is still the case, and cosplayer/streamer GrinningHazard joins in having to witness what I have to deal with XD. For this double dose episode, Grinning and Mink detail their entire trip to TwitchCon in Amsterdam. I was not expecting however the drastic mood that they felt due to Twitch's treatment between Partners and those who weren't. It was extremely disappointing to hear, though that didn't stop them from meeting so many new friends in addition to obtaining "mentors" in a way to help furthering streaming as a career. Not only that, but Grinning and Mink were invited by the folks over at Guerrilla Games due to their impeccable cosplays from Horizon Zero Dawn/Forbidden West. Later on, Larcy details the unexpected responsibilities she was given when signing up to be a cosplay judge at PortCon. Another unexpected development I came to learn 0-0. Plus, we chat a bit about Larry's recent foray into cosplay photography throughout the New England area!

Within the first 5 minutes, I knew Starner was going to be such a delight to talk to and you get to see just how/why with this episode! You DEFINITELY see the age difference between us as Starner goes in detail about her origins into this hobby. Being in the 5th grade and learning about cons whereas I was in college at around this time frame 0-0. With anecdotes like running around the playground Naruto style (which honestly who hasn't!) to her affiliation with more anime themed cosplays but of COURSE I had to poke her brain regarding her favor towards DC Comics and the many many iterations of Harley Quinn that Starner has done over the course of her cosplay career. She's definitely juggling many aspects of content creation in addition to a day job so you get to learn all about that too. Plus, stick around the end for a heartfelt tale with Starner disability struggles

What was going to be a crowded show ended up being a really lovely conversation with Midge Scully and HyperChai! Particularly, this is the second part of my PAX East 2022 coverage (apologies for the wait!). I got to spend time with the two of them at the con and we talked about all the things we each did during that weekend. From all the game previews I had to the ones that Midge and HyperChai tried out. They also talked about their shopping spree (as one does of course!), attending the Undertale concert Thursday night along with cosplays! Also included were chats about FF14, Stray and realizing we're all going to be at the upcoming Final Fantasy 35th concert in November XD. The couple also got to attend ConnectiCon and despite the multiple changes that con has gone through over the years, they had a great time. Mentioning the con's signature Deathmatch event where cosplays are pit against each other and won through audience cheers. Spoiler: The L Block from Tetris emerged victorious! 

Today I'm excited to have the opportunity to have Maru on again as we dived into her time going to both Fanime and Anime Expo which took place in May and July respectively. Throughout our chat, we dive more into Maru's gaming obsessions which extend through her outfits she wore such as the Dancer class from FF14, Jessie in booty shorts from FF7 Remake, Mature Tifa and so many others. From practically selling me on trying Elden Ring at some point to even having heartfelt chats about being a full time content creator. I mull over my thoughts about changing my own stream schedule again and seeing if I really enjoy it enough to pursue it harder as well. We even go into what makes Maru decide on future projects at this point and how she wants to challenge herself with each new build

For today's episode, Kayjora Cosplay joins me once again as we talk about her time at MegaCon in Florida a few weeks ago! Through working with Misty Mountain Gaming, Kayjora was able to work at their booth to help sell merch from both the company in addition to her own cosplay prints. Throughout our chat, we talk about Kay's cosplays that she wore. Each of which are standout in terms of its craftsmanship from Rani's massive hat from Elden Ring, to the sexier side of the Witch King from LotR. We go into more details regarding to MMG's line of products, Kayjora's personal favorites alongside participating in tabletop games like Dungeons and Dragons. Many other cosplayers/influencers are a part of Misty Mountain's Influencer group so there were some familiar names there when it came to looking at who populated that group. Kay chats about her high points at the con PLUS a look at her upcoming cosplays and how she views each new project. Enjoy!

My PAX East coverage continues with a chat alongside Mink the Satyr! It really was a treat getting to spend each day with her as she was rocking Pokemon cosplays for each day. We took a look at how the overall convention was coming back after the pandemic shut everything down. It was sort of surreal as this was my last convention in 2020 so to see my friends after 2 years, it hit me hard emotionally. You'll hear about some of my experiences with my Media appointments I had with game previews being saved to a future episode. Mink also had her hands full with multiple panels so you'll get to see how those went as well. This was the first big convention for the both of us with Mink of course having done low-key conventions throughout the last 2 years, so we reflect on how it's been for the both of us. All the loot/swag I bought, my favorite moments and so much more is discussed here! Hope you guys enjoy :)

In this episode, I got to sit down with one of my favorite creators/body-painters Intraventus for a chat about Creative Burnout. Specifically when it came to Intra's struggles throughout 2021 as a body painter. I always marveled at her ability to do so many of her body paint streams for 4+ hours in the evening but as evident by the title, this soon took a toll on her. We talk about the strategies she used to recover from doing her variety streams in addition to touching on her current obsession with Elden Ring. Intra and I also take a frustrating look at TikTok's treatment to sex workers and cosplayers. How difficult it can be for individuals like Intraventus that sadly view the platform as a giant boon of new OnlyFans subscribers alongside Twitch subs too. It's unsure if TikTok will ever change or get better with its treatment. Until then, I truly hope you guys enjoy this chill chat. I got worried very early on that I didn't prepare well enough so I hope that this talk offers some interesting insight :)

I am overly excited to be joined by best girl/cosplay waifu Jaycee Cosplay as we talk about her time at Katsucon back in February. It was interesting to hear how the con has changed as we sort of enter a return to normalcy in the events circuit. Jaycee talks about the cosplays she brought along for the trip, adventures in rooming with some close friends of hers along with many hilarious moments about her being "an old lady" and wanting to be in bed at a reasonable time. So while there wasn't any after-party info/insight, Jess DID talk about her time in the dealers room and artist alley. From plushie/figure hunting to probably spending a crazy amount on art prints. I also got to have a chat with her regarding anxiety and how while this was such a fun time for Jess, she's most likely heading back into her cosplay/convention retirement hole (as she put it). Designing cosplays and shooting them outside of convention means however is still on her plate. PLUS WE TALK ABOUT COOKIES

In another addition of What's New With, I'm joined by the ever so wonderful Phalafel Cosplay. Since our last recording in 2019, stuff has changed a lot for her in terms of her creativity with both cosplays as well as her venture into makeup looks with her Animal Crossing series. So much so that it has led her to opportunities with ColourPop! She references her current cosplay of Noelle from Genshin Impact and how that process has been. Twitch streaming has also been an amazing time for her with the community Phalafel has fostered through playing a variety of games plus crafting and just chatting. With her upcoming 12 hour stream celebrating one year, Phalafel has been able to keep her creativity flowing through the aforementioned outlets PLUS making videos on TikTok. We also talk about Sora making it into Smash Bros, how conventions are opening back up plus favorite methods of cosplay!

For the pivotal 69th (nice!) episode, Mink the Satyr joins me in a completely different way. Emulating/acting through her V-Tuber persona, Mink takes the floor in describing the process of illustrating and rigging an original character model to entertain. Mostly in the streaming capacity, she stresses how cost effective the whole venture can be. All on the idea of how all out do you yourself want to go with your character model. We talk about the origins around v-tubing with groups/companies like Hololive and Mink building up a new PC to help in assisting with this new avenue. Afterwards, we do a deep dive on the latest Nintendo Direct and its wild showcase from Kirby's new game, Smash Bros' final fighter debuting in October and the hilarious (upsetting?) cast reveal of the Mario Bros movie by Illumination! Also included is our thoughts of upcoming conventions and how they're faring with the pandemic. Cons resulting in COVID cases surging after the fact and how some haven't been taking necessary precautions. This is a long one so I hope you all enjoy :)

I got to chat with the incredible Alice Pika about a multitude of topics in this latest episode! From her early days of gaming and watching anime, to the content creating that she's been up to today. We reflect on what it's been like being somewhat involved with Etika's community, alongside her convention and cosplay history. Alice mentions several past cons such as Anime Expo, PAX East and NYCC! We also talk about a variety of games from Persona, Zelda, and Smash Bros. Alice opens up about her mental health and how it affects her cosplay and streaming efforts. What she's looking to do as she hopes to become more involved with streaming and possibly even holding panels at conventions. There's also talk about the workplace toxicity that has been made light at Activision/Blizzard while discussing similar situations previously brought up.

I'm happy to announce the start of my PAX East Online coverage! I had the wonderful opportunity to interview Dr. Anthony Bean and discuss his offerings over at Geek Therapeutics! A site that allows people to come and make their lives better through therapy alongside the connections we can make utilizing pop culture. Here, Anthony gives a full rundown on what it's like being a consultant for the company, the many certifications they offer, plus a slew of other outlets. This includes podcasting, a line of psychology books as well as teases into future Kickstarter offerings. You'll also get a look inside Anthony's favorite game series AND a look into my own personal struggles with therapy, why Nightwing means so much to me as a character and how I relate to him! This was an insightful conversation and I hope it helps you all in some way, shape, or form.

For this super long episode, I got the chance to talk with and meet Luck of the Lion Cosplay! From her immediate love of the Zelda franchise to the pin-up side of things, Leon has been killing it with doing full cosplay work as well as the boudoir side of the hobby. We talk about her beginnings with falling in love with cosplay, why Zelda means so much alongside some humorous convention stories. We also go into detail about proper convention etiquette and how a fan should approach cosplayers in person. There's just so much in this episode and I really hope you all enjoy it as much as me and Leon had :)

For today's episode, I got to chat with the amazingly talented Jessilyn Cupcake and I have a sneaking suspicion that she's obsessed with Borderlands. Throughout our chat, you'll learn of Jess' start in cosplay and traveling to cons, as well as an in-depth look as to why she loves the looter-shooter franchise so much. Did you know she came into the series late? This love for Borderlands has gotten Jess some incredible opportunities which she dives into as well. Convention stories as well as our thoughts on the upcoming Borderlands movie and video game movies as a whole lately! This was such a fun conversation :D

I got the wonderful chance to talk with the sensational Intraventus again! Things have definitely changed for her in a wonderful way since then thanks largely to body painting! Since tackling that hobby on Twitch she's found a brand new passion alongside getting major confidence boosts in her own looks and work. The detailing and effort that goes into these works of arts is insane and I couldn't be more happier for the success she's had. We go into her early starts with Twitch and the community she's built, most difficult part to paint on herself as well as her long term aspirations for creating her own line of makeup and body paint! Listen as I just give this girl all the praise that she rightfully deserves CAUSE GOSH SHE'S SO SWEET

Note that whenever Zach Fischer comes on my show, we bounce all over the place. Even to topics that don't necessarily pertain to the basis of cosplay. I got to catch up with Zach and get a look on how the past year has been for him as an artist/content creator. Other area of interests include his feelings on burnout during the start of the pandemic, his changes to his Twitch content in addition to a multitude of other things. Contract work with Blizzard, the various changes that the gaming industry needs to address at the corporate level when it comes to crunch, creators on OnlyFans/Patreon, why no one likes Warlords of Draenor and HOW IN THE WORLD DOES THIS MAN NOT HAVE A SWITCH?! Jokes aside, Zach brings such a unique intellect to the show and I'm glad he has just as much fun as I do. We even go into detail about his first ever time judging a cosplay contest online alongside what conventions will be like now as we come out of the COVID Era. You also get a small look into my personal life so sorry not sorry? XD

In this new episode, I got to catch up with Krissy and see how the pandemic has affected her as it has pretty much every other cosplayer in the community. She talks about her return to creating cosplays, upcoming cons she's excited to attend and so much more! Plus, you can get some insight into Krissy's latest foray into pole work and how much fun she's been having. This includes future incorporations into Krissy's OnlyFans content in addition to huge life changes happening. We go in detail about burnout culture and how we both have been able to stay tough with the lack of content being created. Krissy had a blast going on tangents and rambling on so I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did

I was very excited to chat with Holly Wolf again on my show since previously she was phenomenal to talk to and have a conversation with her. This time, I talk to her about how she's dealt with online anonymous hate throughout her various social media channels. From YouTube, Twitter and even Twitch, she notices how that while she's certainly grown tougher skin, mean comments can still take a toll on her. With COVID still in effect, she goes into detail on how more online she's been along with the work she's been outputting. The strategies she's implemented to keep herself busy while also taking time off of social media. It really is fascinating to hear how passionate and driven Holly is regarding content creation. She's always been an inspiration to me ^_^

You wouldn't believe the urge I've had to record a new episode for you guys. It's short but I wanted to give an update both in my content creating life in addition to how the state of the cosplay community is. Truthfully not much has changed though there is a light at the end of this lockdown tunnel. With vaccines being rolled out, it's a possibility that conventions will return at some point next year! I go into detail also about my foray into Let's Plays on my YouTube channel PLUS my ongoing stream adventures!

For this episode, I'm joined by my downstairs neighbor Munkey as I picked his brain a bit and described what it's like traveling to conventions and dressing up for various weekends. Having never been to a con, Munkey is certainly interested in breaking that barrier and seeing what makes conventions so much fun. I chat about my trips to cons like PAX East and NYCC briefly alongside his origins being into pop culture. Funny enough, it all started with Ninja Turtles for him! We also do a mini game of sorts in guessing the powers and affinity of Marvel characters we've never heard of :D. 

Welcome to the Season 4 debut of CosplayBytes! Today I'm joined by my wonderful friend Midge Scully as we go through her cosplay origin story so to speak, what it's been like dealing with the sudden disappearance of conventions due to COVID. You'll also get a look at some tidbits about Midge such as her favorite parts about cosplay, her dream outfit plus her start into doing OnlyFans. I also catch you guys up with what's been going on in my own life with my jump into streaming on Twitch. Midge also has her hands in that too so she talks about her time streaming! 

I had the privilege of chatting with Kim of InPlainSight who just recently published a book all geared towards new cosplayers looking into starting their own cosplay journey. We chat about her beginnings with watching Star Wars when she was younger, cosplaying with her son at various cons as well as her thoughts on the current zeitgeist of superhero films. Plus we get an idea with her cosplay progress as she starts learning how to sew given the current lockdown situation. Lots more are included such as nerding out over superhero movies, comfy cosplays, etc.

COVID and Quarantine have effectively halted the convention season for many attendees and content creators. Many of the latter type have either changed or haven't when it comes to creating outfits and staying active creatively. Mink the Satyr is one such gal so we talk about what she's been up to! Doing some on location shoots as well as shoots in her backyard! Plus, we go on about Pokemon, Animal Crossing, enamel pins and how lucky we both got in attending PAX East as our last con before things shut down. Hopefully in the future I can have more past guests on to see what they've been up to!

This past weekend, NYCC had it's full blown outing virtually with this second run of what's called the Metaverse. Similar to a previous episode, this consisted of multiple panels being streamed through YouTube in addition to a beautifully crafted website that mimicked the convention look and feel. Of course as much as it did, the feeling of being at the Javits Center was absent and was something I missed throughout this weekend. Come hear my thoughts on the various panels I did watch in addition to what it was like browsing through the Metaverse's website. There's also teases of future episodes and my hopeful plans for the show as 2020 comes to a close!