I had the opportunity and pleasure to do a written interview with cosplay artist Jane from the new cosplay talent agency Kospre! Jane has cosplayed characters such as Rory Mercury from GATE, Asuka Langley Souryuu from Neon Genesis Evangelion, D.Va from Blizzard’s Overwatch and many others! Below is the transcript of the interview!
Josh: When it comes to cosplay, what inspired you the most to get into the art?
Jane: I think the hands-on aspect was important for me. I thought about cosplaying a few years before I made my first one, but I was too scared to try it! My friend Sarah encouraged me to make one for AX with her, and I kept going ever since. I think it made a lot of sense for me, because I loved making things and anime/games, so cosplaying combined to two interests. When it came down to it, I just wanted to make art with characters I loved using my artistic interpretation.
Josh: Were there any cosplays that you have made in the past that posed an incredible challenge to make?
Jane: I think almost every cosplay I have made so far has posed a challenge in some way; that’s usually one of the criteria I use when I decide which cosplay to make next. I would say Ruby’s prop was pretty difficult, I definitely needed help with that one! It was a bit ambitious for my first prop.
Josh: On average, how long does it take for you to create a single cosplay?
Jane: Since I started working full time, progress has slowed down significantly. I can take anywhere from 7 full work days to 2 months depending on how much time I have and the nature of the project. I try to do test fits and adjustments before debut as well which takes more time.
Josh: One of your goals is to create emotive photos through cosplay, how do you prepare for something like that?
Jane: I love planning the shoots and discussing the vision with my photographer friends. It’s especially exciting when we are both big fans of the series. We often spend a lot of time looking up reference photos and photos online that have the emotive feel we are looking for. I sometimes think of specific scenes from the anime/game that I want to recreate. I think it would be interesting to record the creative process before a cosplay is made and before the photos are taken because it’s such a big part of the entire experience. The process can be extremely tiring but a lot of fun!
Josh: As someone who has educated many on things such as makeup, props and the like, what type of encouragement would you give someone who is interested in cosplay and might feel intimidated by some of the higher detailed cosplays out there?
Jane: I would say to take baby steps, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes! There are many ways you can go about it; some like to spend an entire year perfecting one cosplay, while others like to cosplay a lot of casual characters throughout the year. I encourage spending a lot of time in front of a computer to research as much as possible. There are so many amazing resources available online! When I first started, I didn’t know how to do anything except hand sew. I learned everything from the internet and personal experience. I know it can be easy to get caught up in trying to make a crazy epic cosplay for the first one, but I think it is important to try and stay within your limitations to avoid getting too discouraged early on. Give enough time to learn about the material you will be working with, and to test things out.
Josh: Are there any characters you haven’t cosplayed as yet that you would love to portray?
Jane: So many!! I still need to cosplay Kairi from Kingdom Hearts! I also need to make Sailor Saturn, Zelda, Ragnarok Online characters, Sakura from Cardcaptors, Magic Knight Rayearth girls, the list goes on.
Josh: Are there any new cosplay techniques that you have learned recently or are wanting to learn?
Jane: There are a lot of techniques I still want to learn. I’m currently working on Ishtar for Fanime, and used this as an opportunity to try foam + vinyl techniques. I think it’s turning out very well for my first time! I want to try more casting in the future and get better acquainted with sewing patterns. I usually free hand patterns but I want to start altering pre-existing patterns more. I also need to improve my makeup!
Josh: I see you are a fan of video games and even got to work on props for Battleborn. Tell us about that experience!
Jane: It was a really fun experience. I got recruited by Junkers Cosplay to help make the giant cannon for his character. I had a lot of artistic freedom with how I wanted to build it. We printed the profile view of the prop to scale, and then I free handed the pattern. I built the box foundation out of PVC, glued it together, and then designed the plates. I had a lot of fun making it! It was fun walking around SDCC too!
Josh: What are some of your favorite anime shows or manga series and why?
Jane: I think my top 2 are Samurai Champloo and Neon Genesis Evangelion. As for manga, my favorites growing up were Cardcaptors Sakura, Magic Knight Rayearth, and Sailor Moon. I like them all for different reasons, but it’s usually because I love the design of the characters and the world they live in, as well as the artwork. I think we tend to resonate strongly with characters that are multi-faceted and a little messed up, characters that remind us of ourselves and our experiences.
Josh: Lastly, is there anything you would like to say to The Outerhaven readers?
Jane: I’d like to thank them for reading this interview! If interested, they can follow me on these platforms:
Jane’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/JSCosplay
Jane’s Twitter – @js_cosplay
Jane’s Instagram: @js_cosplay
You can also check out Jane’s official Kospre page at the following link: http://www.kospre.us/jane
We here at The Outerhaven wish to thank Kospre for this interview opportunity and want to especially thank Jane for her time! Be sure to give her a follow and support her amazing work! The photo provided and the featured photo were both taken by Indiglue.
