What city are you based in? 

Fort Myers, Florida

Tell us a bit about yourself! 

My passion for costume design and cosplaying started about 10 years ago as I fell in love with bringing the virtual world to reality. I started with simple tools and home supplies to bring together my vision and my newfound hobby. What really got me hooked was taking the characters on the big screen and many popular video games, challenging myself to bring the characters to life through costume designing and prop building. That is what drove me to where my passion is today. From that time on I’ve brought to life many characters, while specializing in my main strength of Foam armor building. Pushing the boundaries to the next build, I stride to inspire the next prop builder, foam smith, or costume designer to create their own vision and bring their favorite characters to life.

What fandoms are you into? 

My favorite fandoms include Star Wars, Marvel, DC, Sci-Fi/Horror and many video game franchises.

Can you tell us about your first cosplay?

My first Cosplay was actually a Titan armor suit from the video game Destiny. This was my first build and really tested my beginning skills. I made various props before, but the full foam armor suit really opened my eyes and I learned a lot from trial and error. I don’t think I’ve ever made something and nailed it on the first try. Strength comes from failure and this advice has helped me move through most of my Cosplays to this day. The suit was created from basic floor tile Eva foam mats, some hot glue sticks and left-over spray paint. That’s all it took to bring a thousand smiles to faces seeing their favorite character come to life at the next convention! Speaking of my first ever convention, it was actually MEGACON Orlando!

Do you have a cosplay piece that you are most proud of?

If I had to pick one it would be my enchanted Pharah Cosplay from Overwatch. This Cosplay really incorporated a lot of my skills I gathered over the years as well as new ones I have never approached before. I also procrastinated with this Cosplay for awhile before getting it right as I was really doubtful I could bring something as intricate of a design to life (not to mention it was an armored ghost as well!). This suit incorporated large wings, LED rigged lights, smoke and ghostly effects. When it was finally complete, it really brought a smile to my own face proving to myself anything is possible with the right dedication.

What do you hope to achieve through cosplay?

To inspire the next generation, sharing ideas and expanding the community as Cosplay has grown into such a huge part of people’s life and helped many through their own battles. Bringing smiles and sparking newfound passions to the next builder!

If you could give any piece of advice to new cosplayers, what would it be?

Don’t ever give up. Starting is the hardest part. Take those first few steps and before you know it you’ll be bringing your visions to life and accomplishing goals you never thought possible. Also don’t be shy to reach out to this loving community for help. I know myself and many others are there to help along the way!