This entry in our interview series is a little unique as Nick from Nick Nack’s Photography not only interviewed Queen Bean, but also brought us an awesome shoot directly from Anime Los Angeles 2017. We’ve been noticing more and more great things from Queen Bean and so excited to have her once again featured on the site.
SMC: Why did you start cosplaying?
Queen Bean: I started cosplaying after discovering what cosplay was by browsing youtube and coming across a masquerade video for San Diego Comic Con. I thought it was really cool that people dressed up as characters that they liked and I wanted to do it too! I was already fascinated by sewing and I loved drawing and being creative, so cosplay was a whole new world to me that put everything I loved into one hobby.
SMC: What was the first convention you attended in cosplay?
Queen Bean: The first convention I attended was Anime Expo 2012. It was super overwhelming for my very first convention, especially since I had no idea what to expect. I ended up having lots of fun though and I’ve been back to Anime Expo every year!
SMC: What has been your most memorable convention moment?
Queen Bean: My most memorable cosplay moment was probably during ALA 2016. I got featured in a cosplay music video for my very first time at a bigger convention, and it was an amazing experience for me. I felt proud of myself for growing as a cosplayer and being featured in the same video as so many other talented cosplayers. It made me feel like I really belonged in the cosplay community, and it encouraged me to continue putting my best work out there!
SMC: What is your favorite thing about cosplaying at a convention?
Queen Bean: My favorite thing about cosplaying at a convention is just being able to be one of my favorite characters for a few hours and have fun with all my cosplay friends! I love bringing my favorite characters to life, and it really brightens my day when other people appreciate the hard work I put into the costume and share my love of the character.
SMC: Where can fans expect to see you next? (2016/17 Schedule?)
Queen Bean: The next conventions I will be attending are ALA 2017, Wondercon 2017, Titancon, Fanime 2017, and Anime Expo! After Anime Expo I’m not too certain of my con schedule for the rest of the year.
SMC: What cosplayers inspire you?
Queen Bean: The cosplayers who inspire me are Jessica Nigri, Yaya Han, Kamui Cosplay, and Jean WanWan. Jessica Nigri is my favorite, and she really motivates me in terms of body positively and I’m in love with her armor craft skills and her sparkling personality. Yaya Han is the absolute queen of sewing, and I can only hope to become a quarter of how good she is at sewing one day. Kamui Cosplay is a goddess when it comes to armor and prop making, and I watch her youtube videos religiously. I hope one day to own some of her cosplay books. Jean WanWan is a super adorable cosplayer and we have very similar taste in characters, so sometimes I’ll be inspired to cosplay certain characters because of her! I was actually inspired to do Shinobu because of her, and I’m very glad I did!
SMC: Which is your favorite cosplay you’ve created?
Queen Bean: My favorite cosplay that I’ve created has to be my nurse Super Sonico. It was my first ever “sexy” cosplay that I’ve done, so I was actually really nervous to cosplay her at first. I had such a good experience in that cosplay though that it quickly became my favorite! I absolutely adore Sonico, she’s my number one waifu and I will be making more cosplays of her in the future because it’s so fun being her!
SMC: What cosplay are you best known for?
Queen Bean: I feel like I’m best known for my nurse Sonico cosplay. Whenever I do anything Sonico-related I always get a very positive response, so she is definitely one of my go-to’s.
SMC: If money was no object what would be your dream cosplay creation?
Queen Bean: My dream cosplay at the moment is Twilight Princess Zelda. I absolutely adore her and her luxurious dress. I’ve been holding it off for so long because I wanted to acquire the skills in order to execute it perfectly, and I think I’ve finally reached that point. I’m planning on making her for Anime Expo 2017.
SMC: Do you have any new cosplays currently in the works?
Queen Bean: Currently I am working on my cosplays for ALA, which are Catherine from the video game Catherine, a sailor scout version of sylveon from Pokemon, and Chuchu from Show By Rock.
SMC: What are your cosplay strengths? (Tailoring, fabric painting, worbla armor, in-character performance etc.)
Queen Bean: My cosplay strengths seem to lie in armor crafting, seeing how my Charlotte cosplay turned out very well in my opinion. I try my best to keep around the same skill level in all areas of cosplay though, and I am currently working on becoming even better at sewing.
SMC: What’s one thing you wish you knew about cosplaying before you got started?
Queen Bean: One thing I wish I knew about cosplaying before I started was just how much money each cosplay costs. Cosplaying is a very expensive hobby, and now that I’m addicted there’s no escape for me or my wallet haha.
SMC: Any advice for people interested in cosplaying for the first time?
Queen Bean: My biggest piece of advice to beginners is to do your research. When I first started cosplaying, I would watch hours upon hours of cosplay tutorials and music videos on youtube, getting inspired and learning a plethora of skills I could use for cosplay. Reading cosplay forums is also extremely helpful. Even now, if I want to learn a new skill to use on a cosplay, I will very heavily research that skill before trying it myself.
SMC: What do you do in the real world for a job?
Queen Bean: Currently I am a full-time student at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles studying marketing in their school for business.
SMC: What is something your fans may not know about you? Other hobbies?
Queen Bean: For most of my life I used to be an equestrian who did dressage. I owned a beautiful Andalusian gelding named Notorio Novio whom I loved very dearly. Unfortunately, I had to stop riding in order to go to college, and it was heart breaking to part from my horse.
SMC: What part of “geekdom” is you favorite avenue of entertainment (i.e. comics, movies, video games, anime, etc?).
Queen Bean: I am definitely an anime and video game nerd. I’ve been into anime for most of my life and I absolutely adore Nintendo games, especially the Legend of Zelda series.
SMC: What Comic Books are you currently addicted to?
Queen Bean: I don’t really read Comic Books haha.
SMC: Any favorite TV shows, movies or cartoons?
Queen Bean: My favorite American cartoon currently is Rick and Morty, and my favorite movie is Spirited Away.
SMC: What is your gaming system of choice?
Queen Bean: My gaming system of choice is the Wii U and my trusty 3DS XL.
I hope I answered these alright! Thank you for interviewing me, these questions were really fun to do!! 🙂 <3
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