Cosplay Spotlight: West Wylde Cosplayer

Epic Nerd Shit is proud to introduce our next featured cosplayer, West Wylde Cosplyer. 

 

ENS: Tell me a bit about yourself.

WW: My name is Toni Cardinale. My cosplay name is West Wylde Cosplayer. I am from Northern California. I am an over 30, plus-sized cosplayer. I am a member of the West Coast Avengers, a cosplay group that attends charity events. I am an Instagram page model for Cosplay Heroes. My cosplays have been published in the online magazine COSPLAY+ Magazine. I did the cover and an interview for October 2015, and the cosplay spotlight in the Spring 2016 issue.

ENS: How did it few to be recognized and published in a magazine and featured so many times? 

WW: Getting recognized for my cosplays is very flattering. I like to feel I bring a positive aspect to the community. I like bringing attention to the fact that I am older, plus size and do many things for charity. The cosplay community is not just for certain types of cosplayers.

ENS: How long have you been into cosplay?

WW: I have been cosplaying since February of 2014.

ENS: How much time and energy goes into a costume? Also cost of an average costume, if you are comfortable sharing that?

WW: The time going into a costume varies by degree of difficulty and how well thought-out the project needs to be.

 

ENS: How many cons have you done if any, and what was the biggest?

WW: I have been to at least 25 conventions. My largest was just this past March on Easter weekend, Wonder-Con at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California.

ENS: Have you ever experienced and type of negativity like body shaming or unwanted sexual advances? If yes, how did it affect you?

WW: I have experienced a couple of negative comments online. My reaction to them was to delete those comments. The persons actually reposted the comments again, and I deleted them again and blocked them.  I do not feel it is necessary to respond to online trolls, because any feedback to them just encourages them further.

Featured Cosplayer: HappyCosplayer

Cosplay is an exciting world where people can dress up as their favorite characters. Whether it is for a photo shoot, going to a con, or any other of the many reasons to dress up, cosplay is popular and done by many talented people. Epic Nerd Shit would like to start highlighting those exceptional people in the world of cosplay, with a series of cosplay features. This week we will talk to and highlight the work of HappyCosplayer. 

ENS: How long have you been into cosplay? 

HC: I’ve been cosplaying since 2013, and don’t foresee myself ever stopping.

ENS: How many hours would you guess, and on average how much money gets spent? Also, I know that a lot of times prizes or money are given out. Do you think that you personally, or others, do it for the prizes or more for the sheer love of the art? 

HC: More than most people estimate, and sometimes more than we cosplayers want to admit! It varies on the build, but the time spent on a costume is well worth the few hours worn at con. On average I spend anywhere from 10 hours to well over 50 hours on one cosplay build, with a budget that ranges from $50 up to $200. If your question is pertaining to masquerade and or other cosplay contests, I think most of us do it for the recognition. Of course getting a free badge to come back to con next year is great, though for me, just having my work and builds loved by others is very rewarding.

ENS: How many cons have you done if any, and what was the biggest?