What’s going on heroes? Happy Friday first off, today I went Australia to interview Zalaria Cosplay. Okay, I’m joking but I still interviewed Zalaria and she’s amazing. Definitely, someone, you should be following. Our interview is down below, so let’s get into it.
1.What were you like growing up? What were some of the things you were into as a child/teenager?
I was a pretty obsessed kid when I was growing up and I would always collect everything I could of whatever I was obsessed with at the time. One of the things I was most enamoured with was Digimon! I remember going into second hand stores with my mother and scouring around to find any Digimon toys I could find because they were pretty rare even when the show was first out! I’m still not sure why I loved the show and characters so much but they still mean a lot to me today! As I got older I started to get back into these shows I liked as a kid – and I started getting involved in anime as well as video games which I had been playing for years. The first anime I watched was something I loved as a child – Tokyo Mew Mew. It all went from there. >cue weeb phase<
2.Did those things influence who you’re today?
As a kid I spent SO much time playing super smash bros melee with my brother that it is probably one of the most influential games in my life. Ever since then I’ve spent a lot of time playing flighting games – all types – I just love them. I’d say that my love for games and anime helped to push me into cosplay and I’m very grateful for it. I’ve always looked for outlets for my creativity and this is one of the most perfect ways to express that.
3.First off, your Reinhardt cosplay was amazing. It’s the first time I’ve seen that take on the character when it comes to his armor. What inspired you to go that route instead of the usual route cosplayers take.
I really love the idea of huge armour costumes and when Overwatch came out I fell in love with his design straight away. I knew I had to do something big for him but I wanted it to not only fit me but also for it to read as Reinhardt with my take on him. Originally I wanted to cover my entire body but since that’s not ver practical to actually wear I decided to cut out the middle portion. Worked out nicely for wear but some people seemed to dislike it because of that. Either way I was really happy with what I had made and it was just as I had imagined it!
4.What is the Australian cosplay community like?
Here in Adelaide there’s a load of talented and supportive ladies and dudes who are very kind and humble. One of the things I’m most grateful for in cosplay is the people I’ve been able to meet who are just amazing. I’d say overall from what I’ve experienced (which isn’t much outside of Adelaide) there are many talented and hardworking people who are really motivated to do amazing things.
5. Is there a convention you want to attend outside of Australia?
I’d say that Blizzcon would be one of my biggest dream cons although there are so many in America that I can’t keep track of them… they seem so busy too! Some of the Comic-cons over there look absolutely amazing as well!
6.Off topic question, favorite food?
Favorite food is a hard one! Ever since going to Japan last year I can’t stop thinking about Tempura veggies they make there – just absolute perfection.
7.What has been a lesson cosplay has taught you?
There’s been a lot of things cosplaying has taught me – patience, project management, endurance and many other things but I think the most important one is for me to keep thinking about what motivates me to do this and to never forget that I am ALWAYS improving! I love being able to look forward to new projects because I know I can implement new skills and knowledge to each one to become better and better each time!
8.Second off topic question, what are you looking forward to this year?
This year I’m basically looking forward to each costume I make…haha. I love starting new projects and completing them even more than conventions themselves most of the time! Although PaxAus and Avcon are some of the biggest ones I look forward to every year.
9.You’ve worked with a variety of photographers last year when it came to shooting your cosplays. What do you enjoy most about working with so many different photographers?
I love working with many different photographers because each of them have their own way of working and producing images that is very unique to their own style! I’m always so grateful to everyone that is willing to work with me so I jump at any opportunity to do shoots.
10.With Mercy finished, what other cosplays are you planning to make this year?
I’m currently working on Bunny Camilla from FE at the moment and I have plans for Charlotte from FE fates and an armoured D.va redesign to wear to Avcon in July and potentially another Overwatch costume later in the year!
Featuring Floksy Locksy Cosplay
11.What conventions can people find you at this year?
Not too sure what I’m going to be at this year but I know I’ll be at Avcon for sure! Hopefully I’ll be going to PaxAus too this year.
12.Final question, anything you want to say to your fans?
I’d just like to say thank you to them for supporting me through all of this even though I am sometimes really bad at updating when I get obsessed with making a costume. I do try really hard to upload as much content as I can so everyone knows where I’m at and what I’m doing! I want to be able to give back to everyone and I’m hoping to be able to start up a Patreon when I’m not so busy with full-time study!
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Hopefully, I can meet Zalaria Cosplay in person someday. It’s one of my goals to met everyone I interview and give them a “Thank You” card. It’s an ambitious goal but I got a feeling I can achieve it. Her social media links are listed above. All you have to do is click and follow.
Coming to the cafe next week…
Arcanekani Cosplay is making his debut. So until then, I’m still XBen3000 and I’m out!
