For as long as I can remember, Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays due to the fact that it was the one where you could be someone else. Sure getting high on sugar also had something to do with it but being able to bring your favorite character to life in your own style also intrigued me. Ever since I graduated from high school in 2012 and had got a job, for the first time I was able to buy whatever I wanted. Which also meant I was able to buy whatever clothes I wanted. From then on I started what you probably would consider ‘casual cosplaying’ from head to toe with jackets, hoodies, hats, t-shirts, and shoes. Whether they were Superman or Sponge Bob themed, I’d dressed up like this every day, hell I even do it at work lol.
At some point i had got my first full blown costume which was Spider-Man whom is still my favorite character to dress up as and also the most frequent. As you can see, I’ve cosplayed as multiple characters, however it wasn’t until in 2016 when I decided to do something completely different and try genderbend cosplay and the first character that came to mind was Harley Quinn!
I’ve always liked Harley as a character but ever since 2016, as I Cosplayed her, I started to really understand the character, she has gained a special place in my heart. I’m very different from most people and Harley is a character who I feel kinda represents the misfits or those who don’t necessarily fit the norm or status quo. She doesn’t fit the stereotypical way a ‘lady’ looks or behave and she doesn’t care. She doesn’t care how weird and zany she may look from other people’s perspective. Sure some of it has to do with how unstable she can be but also because she is comfortable with who she is and isn’t afraid to show it and I respect that and I try to be the same way. To be true to myself and not worry about what other people think of me.
That’s why I feel kinda like a different person whenever I’m Harley cus she’s so free and has that childlike spirit in her which again I relate to cus I still feel like a kid at heart due to how I still love a lot of Disney and anything animated. But yeah despite that childlike spirit she has, she also has that dark side due to her time as a villain, as well as a sadness to her. She’s a very multi layered character. Despite what many people assume due to my costumes, I’m only interested in women but cosplaying Harley has helped me balance both my masculine and feminine side.
For years I’ve always cosplayed Harley and other female characters as if they were dudes, it’s only recently that I started cosplaying these characters I’ve been cosplaying for so long at this point that I’ll just cosplay whoever I want regardless of if I gotta wear a suit or a dress. I’m just straight male who loves cosplaying his fav fictional characters regardless of their gender. With that said even I was, it shouldn’t really matter and for those who are among the LGBTQ community and does crossdress cosplays or just cosplays in general, more power to ya. Don’t let any idiot or their slurs stop you from doing your thing and judge you for how you look, talk, dress or who you like.
I guess it would have something to do with my love for fusions in the Dragon Ball franchise. In case you don’t watch any of Dragon Ball, there are certain occasions where the heroes come across a very powerful opponent which forces them to merge into one to defeat them, combining their attributes, from strength and speed to reflexes, intelligence, and wisdom. When properly fused, the single being created has an astounding level of power, far beyond what either fusees would have had individually. Basically becoming more badass than they were before! Like whenever Goku and Vegeta fuse into Vegito or Gogeta! But yeah I love doing cosplay mashups especially Harley mashups
And I have a habit of coming up with fan fictions in my head when it comes to these crossover cosplays like Sith Harley or Spider-Quinn. But my favorite mashup I’ve done so far is Jokeroth, it’s basically what if Sephiroth from Final Fantasy 7 became a Jokerized version of himself. The next mashup I plan on doing to combing Cammy White from Street Fighter with Jinx from League of Legends / Arcane.
Just dressing up as my favorite fictional characters makes me feel way more confident and allows me to express myself. Cosplaying is more then just a hobby for me, it has become a big part of who I am. When I worked at Walmart I would cosplay everyday. I even Cosplay when I go to the gym. I love being able to put my own spin into these characters but what I love more is getting to go to comic/anime conventions and meeting tons of talented people who do the same thing. So I encourage each and everyone whether you’re a Marvel, DC, Disney, or even Star War cosplayer to keep displaying your love for your favorite characters the best way you can regardless of what the naysayers say. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, cosplaying is for everyone big and small, young and old.