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.
