PopCultHQ is glad to feature Elisa Espinoza as our Cosplay Spotlight of the Week. This lover of all things geek and chic loves her craft and the experience that comes with it. In the cosplay scene for a little over 5 years, the New Jersey native tends to keep things fairly local to her region for conventions which to attend… except for San Diego Comic Con. Who can blame her? That’s big time!
I had the blessed opportunity to reach out and speak with Elisa to find out a little more of her love for cosplay, her beginnings into the scene, and what future plans she has lined up. Enjoy!
PopCultHQ: When did you begin cosplaying? Your first event or con you attended and how that went.
Elisa: Well my first con was comic con of 2012. I had a lot of fun! I was so excited to see all the different booths and tables. The people I got to meet and all the amazing costumes I saw. It just felt like such a friendly, carefree environment; I simply loved it. The panels were interesting as well and being able to participate in random little game demos or crowd-involved shows was tons of fun. For that con, I had just worn an American McGee’s Alice costume I had bought from the Halloween store… nothing too crazy. I had only recently really gotten serious about cosplaying this past year when i put together my Harley Quinn cosplay.
PopCultHQ: What sparked your interest in the cosplay scene? What was the defining moment that made you say, “This is something I want to do.”?
Elisa: I have always been very interested in anything involving art. I always loved to draw and work with my hands; my art teacher in high school practically begged me to take art as one of my majors. I started sewing and modifying my own clothing or my friends’ clothing in middle school/high school. And I always enjoyed making other people happy and seeing others smile whether it was because I made them something they really liked or when I started seeing how happy people, mainly children, were when they took a picture with me. It really wasn’t until I finally finished my Harley Quinn cosplay, and wore it to the New York Renaissance Faire, that I really was like, “wow, I could really see myself doing this.” There were so many kids that were just so happy and excited to take pictures with me, it made my heart melt.
PopCultHQ: What is your favorite character to cosplay? Which character would you still love to do?
Elisa: My favorite character that I’ve cosplayed as so far is definitely Harley Quinn. I’ve been wearing that cosplay at every event I’ve gone to for probably a bit over a year now. Usually I wear a cosplay once or twice and move on to another.
PopCultHQ: What are your plans for 2016? Are there certain cons or events you plan on attending this year?
Elisa: Well I’m definitely going to be going to Wicked Faire, which (is this) weekend, Feb. 19-21. I plan on doing the Sirens of Gotham: Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and Catwoman, one for each day. Then I already have my tickets and room booked for this year’s Anime Next in June. I’m excited for that one since they moved it to Atlantic City this year. I again will be planning on wear 3 different costumes. I want to do a Konan (from Naruto: Shippuden) cosplay, gender bend of Portgas D. Ace (from One Piece), and a gender bend of Gray Fullbuster (from Fairy Tail). Then, of course, I go to the New York Ren Faire every year. I have my usually pirate outfit and armor I wear. Been working on fixing up my Red Sonja cosplay but weaving scale mail is a very tedious task… haha. Then, of course, I’m going to go to Comic Con (San Diego); I’m hoping to be able to go all four days. If so, I plan on doing a bit of a duo cosplay with my roommate for two days. I had put together a gender bend Harley Cosplay for him, so for one day he will be Harley (or Harvey as people like to call it) and I will cosplay as a lady Joker, and the next day we will switch. I also plan on putting together a lady Gambit cosplay and the fourth day (if i go) is still undecided.
PopCultHQ: If you can, briefly explain your process in creating the outfits you wear.
Elisa: And as far as deciding what to wear. Hmmm I watch a lot of anime, play a lot of games, and generally have had comics in my life since I was very young. So usually I’ll take or see a character that I’m like, “wow they’re awesome,” or “if I can be like him, I would totally be that character if I was in that world,” or i go with my one of my favorite characters. And I work outside at a Costco gas station so walking around for eight hours gives you a lot of free time to think. I’ll kinda just space out at work and my mind will just wonder and start to build and put together props/cosplays and I’ll just be like, “ooh wow, that would be really cool for me to do,” and then I come home, write it all down, and throw it in a folder of cosplay to-do. I also take suggestion from my friends and such.
To see more of Elisa, check out her Facebook page and look for her the above mentioned live events!