Yellowbrick Road Cosplay is a cosplayer based out of Sioux Falls, SD. She is best known for her Dr. Frank N. Furter cosplay. She recently won Cosplayzine's cospositive award for best crossplay with her Goblin King, and has been featured numerous times in Cosplayzine. She got her bachelor of fine arts degree in musical theatre from the University of South Dakota and truly got in to costuming there especially during her junior and senior year. She is a die-hard Marvel fanatic, and recently got in to drag. She has been lovingly dubbed by family and friends as the "Gal of 1,000 faces".
1. How long have you been Cosplaying?
A. I've been cosplaying for about 5 years now
2. How/When did you first get into Cosplay?
A. A few friends of mine in High School used to go to cons all the time and would try to convince me to go. They finally got me to go to Naka Kon during college and I was going to dress up. So I put together a Tamaki Suoh from Ouran High School Host Club after hunting thrift stores for all the pieces.
3. What does Cosplay mean to you?
A. It's a chance for people to gain confidence in themselves and share your passion and your love of fandoms with other people. It also gives you a chance to become your favorite character. All my friends I have now are because of cosplay. It's a great feeling. I've made so many amazing memories and got to impress people like Stan Lee (yes, **the** Stan Lee) and Nell Campbell (Rocky Horror Picture Show) with my costumes. To have Stan Lee give me a fist bump and say "atta girl", and to have Nell Campbell say I am a "beautiful Frank" and tell me every chance she got that I looked "beautiful" or "gorgeous"...it's pretty amazing and makes me want to continue to improve my skills.
4. What do you think Cosplay could mean for someone who has had a hard life?
A. It's an escape. As someone with anxiety/depression...I've found myself more relaxed and at ease in cosplay because people are genuinely excited to see whatever character I am walking around as that day.
5. What is your favorite Cosplay you have done?
A. Ooh, okay...that's a tough one, but I would probably have to say either Frank N. Furter or Jareth the Goblin King. With both of these cosplays people always get so excited to see them. My favorite experience with my Goblin King is from Planet Comic Con when I had someone start crying because they saw me, and they cried harder when I gave them a hug and took a picture with them.
6. What would you like to do with Cosplay in the future?
A. I would love to travel more and possibly do commissions, but I'm such a procrastinator with my own cosplays that I should probably hold off on that. I also want to learn to make armor.
7. What are your thoughts on Cosplay Isn’t Consent?
A. I agree 100%. With Frank N. Furter I get a lot of inappropriate contact and comments (which I'm usually prepared for), but just because I'm dressed rather scantily doesn't give a person permission to touch me with asking.
8. What can cosplayer’s do to make a difference in their community?
A. I have made appearances at theaters for premieres and made kids' days by coming in costume to their class and talking to them about how I made my costumes and what other characters I have done. I've seen cosplayers do hospital appearances, and fundraising events. Cosplayers that I've met are just genuinely awesome people, and we can almost always be found giving back.
9. What do you want to see in the future of cosplay?
A. More acceptance. I hate seeing people dress as a character they love then getting cut down because they don't fit what everyone wants to see for that character. I want to see more acceptance that people can cosplay who and what they want without fear.
10. What goes into a planning a costume/how much time could it take?
A. Lots and lots of research. My Winter Soldier took about 6 months (2 of which were just making the arm). I made the entire top two pieces of that costume with leather and if you mess up with leather there is no real way to hide that fact haha so I will build and rebuild a piece until it is what I want it to be.
11. What is the most difficult thing about being a cosplayer?
A. I love trying to find certain (almost exact) patterns on fabric. Which is just the worst because I'll find something close, but then I think 'Is anyone going to recognize who I am if I don't have this **exact** pattern that the character does?'
12. If you had an unlimited budget what would you cosplay?
A. Everything! Haha, but I would love to have Loki with a fully functioning sceptre...or Iron Man
13. Do you only Cosplay at conventions? If not where else do you Cosplay?
A. I make appearances at theatres for premieres. My most recent appearance was the Labyrinth 30th anniversary screening. I am part of the Siouxland Renaissance Festival as their gypsy character. I dress up for Halloween. I feel like I am pretty much always in costume.
14. How Far do you go to get into “character”?
A. Once the costume and make-up are on I rarely break character. I am Frank N. Furter, or Jareth, or Hawkeye until the costume and make-up are off.
Come back Friday for part two of the Interview. And if you would like to be considered for Cosplay Imagings Cosplayer of the Week email cotw@cosplayimaging.com with a Introduction and a sample of your cosplay.
